Stirred
by Eduard Kassel
Summary: Past clashes with present, or does it ? Is the course ruled by variables, or constants. The waters have been stirred and what seemed a clear course is now obscured; as what was once laid at the bottom rises to the surface. A stranger, five girls, two siblings, and many players more step forward as the curtain rises on the next act. Sequel to Ripples.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. or anything referenced herein.

 _Betaed by_ : Trackula and Zim'smostloyalservant. You guys are awesome.

Apologies: To fans of my long running projects. See Author's Note for some status updates.

* * *

Stirred

 **Chapter 1**

 _Begin Again: Part 1_

Himerish stood, looking down on the Council of Kandrakar, as the reptilian petitioner disappeared through a rift with his companions. The tablet of steel left behind floated to his hands with a gesture, Tibor letting it pass from his hand.

"Petitioner, veiled threats against Kandrakar itself," Luba remarked, glancing to where the rift had sealed.

"Peace, Luba they are within their rights to voice their displeasure," the Oracle said, as he looked over the tablet. Indeed, as had been said, the sovereigns of fifty-seven Inducted Realms had declared their intentions.

An act of solidarity rare enough to make clear they were serious about this issue. The alternative being that they instead sought to take advantage of an opportunity.

He resisted the urge to sigh or massage his temples. Stewardship of infinite worlds and dimensions brought endless problems to deal with. He often felt the single greatest purpose of the Oracle was, more than any of the power or written duty, to provide people with assurance someone was in control, and capable of carrying this burden. So he would not show even his close confidants that weakness if he could help it.

Tibor spoke up first.

"Meridian is dying. Deprived of its Heart and its connection to cosmic energy flow due to the Veil, the world will soon cease to be able to support the vast majority of its life. Meridian was an Inducted World, however little contact it had.

"Ignoring the morality of the situation, our allowing Meridian to die as a result of our policy would set a precedent they are rationally wary of."

Luba was not convinced, nor were many of the Councilors, judging by their looks.

"This Declaration of 57 do not have the power to compel us. By law or force," One of the Elders spoke up.

"No, but ignoring or dismissing their plea could poison our relations with not only these worlds but other Inducted Realms. Too many resent Kandrakar either for meddling or doing nothing in their spheres."

"They are children — it is our place to guide them, not bow to their shortsighted desire."

"Shortsighted? Though their message may be disrespectful, is anything said not true? Their concern is quite logical. While your outrage seems rooted in pride rather than reason."

"If nothing is done, Meridian as we know it will perish. Leaving only a desolate world with only simple lifeforms to endure. These are facts. And based on these facts, we must choose action or inaction."

Tibor looked to the Oracle, who gave a minute nod as a single. The Elder raised his hand, restoring calm.

"Such destruction was not our intent. Unfortunately, the Meridianites have proven unable to solve their problems. We must think of more than one world's fate."

"Correct, and such situations have long had an appropriate response," The Oracle said, sending the tablet away in a flash.

"My Lord Oracle, it may indeed be time. But Phobos and his forces would be their first obstacle. And we have lost connection to Earth due to the prolonged use of the Veil. Can we truly send fledglings against the Prince and his Hands?" one of the councilors spoke.

"And what would you propose? Lifting the Veil and allowing Phobos free reign?"

"What should it matter to Kandrakar if one Escannor rather than another reigns? That dynasty brought stability through power, not enlightenment."

"Enough," The Oracle had heard arguments too many times to let them go through it one last time as they had already reached an accord for this situation.

"The situation must change. But we will not lightly accept a regime change built on blood and treachery against an inducted government. Especially not with the Mage's counsel regarding the Prince's ambitions.

"The Heart of Meridian will soon awaken, and reveal itself to those who seek it. They will be desperate, and dangerous. Last time we could do nothing, one generation had failed us and the Heart had not yet ordained a new Circle.

"Now it is the time to raise a new generation. To the Auramare chamber; it is time for the Guardians to rise once more."

 **X X X**

The Sheffield Institute gym was abuzz with science fair noises. Academic achievement mixed with the teens' need to turn everything into an opportunity to socialize.

Taranee pushed her glasses up her nose, and let her fingers press into her forehead. This was exactly why she hated group projects. It was so unfair that she could get a solid record dragged down because someone else was an idiot.

Case in point with subject blonde.

"You had one job, Hale," Taranee said. She was keeping her voice civil, but not trying to hide her exasperation.

"Hey, I did what you said," Cornelia Hale huffed.

"I don't know how you messed up 'put in your closet and don't water it', but congratulations, Corny. You have achieved a level of blonde most can only aspire too," Irma Blair laughed.

'Ugh, more of this weird friend/enemy thing between these two? Why couldn't I just get some lazy students that just let me do it all?' Taranee thought, as the girls nettled each other.

Nettled each other over a very healthy and surprisingly large tomato plant. Complete with no less than five yellow blossoms blooming on it.

"Our experiment was on comparing deprivation of necessities and carefully monitored agriculture! What are we supposed to do with three living plants?" Taranee demanded. Looking around at the science fair at the other exhibits, she spotted the two faculty judges, and her doom, approaching.

"Hey, I tried to kill it! I even broke its stem last night!" Cornelia told them, gesturing to the plant. Which clearly had an intact stem.

"Corny, why you lying? And a bad lie at that," Irma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, she gave me this super plant or something. It's her fault," Hale said, pointing an accusing finger at Taranee. She had no time for this!

"Listen I'll stall, just… kill it!" Taranee whispered as the judges got close.

"Oh let me, wasting people's time is a special skill of mine!" Irma said, leaving the booth with Taranee.

Glancing back, Taranee groaned as she watched Cornelia pound on the plant with her fist. Okay, how could she spin this to explain a pasted plant?

 **X X X**

This was not going to go well, Will Vandom admitted.

A girl she barely knows invites her to tea, of all things, after school. With said girl's friends. Honestly, when she called her mom to let her know, she had hoped for some out.

Because just saying no to Hay Lin would be like kicking a puppy. Didn't have to know the girl that well to realize that.

Yes, this would be a total disaster, she thought, looking across the street at the Silver Dragon restaurant. But, she'd made a habit out of being alone back in Fadden Hills after things fell apart, and disaster or not, she was pretty sure if she just quit on this it would be the same for Heatherfield.

"Well, arm the torpedoes, and all that," she muttered. Crossing the clear street in an act of jaywalking, she went right through the door into the restaurant.

Oh, it was nicer than she expected. Not that she thought it would be bad, but in her experience of Chinese places-

"Ah, welcome young Will," she was greeted. She blinked at the sight of the small, bent old Chinese woman greeting her. She had a definite grandma vibe going on. But her clearly-dyed black hair, and out of place despite the surrounding Old China dress, seemed to hint at the colorful kind of senior more than the free cookies and boring stories kind.

'Wow, was that a first impression or a rapid fire right up to fourth?' Will wondered.

 **X X X**

Will had taken her seat in the surprisingly nice basement of the restaurant. According to Hay Lin, her family lived upstairs, so she guessed it was more the Lin family's rec room basement than the restaurant's.

The old lady had shown her to her seat at a table in the basement by an old looking cabinet set, and left her sitting with the four girls. Off to get them tea and cookies. While tea was not her thing, grandma cookies were almost always good news. But for now, despite Hay Lin's chattering about some alien movie she just saw, awkward silence was prevailing.

Irma and Cornelia, she knew them to be loud, especially around each other. A would-be comedian and the suffering audience. Hay Lin was the mutual friend, and the only one who seemed happy to see Will.

Will was not sure about that. She'd known perky types before who were quick to be friends but left you hanging when you needed something more than cheap laughs and fun.

And Taranee, the class smart girl, who seemed surprised to see her here.

"Hey, how was the science fair?" It seemed a safe question. The way Taranee glared at her, told Will it was not. The light even caught on her glasses in that scary way.

"What?" Will said. She hadn't heard about anything exploding or something, so why was she getting treated like she had asked a jerk question? Then Irma laughed, and the metaphorical heat was off her.

"Chill, Willy. Tara's miffed she won't be getting the world record for science fair wins because Corny failed at failing," Irma laughed. Cornelia smacked her hand on the table, nostrils actually flaring a bit.

"Hey, she's the one who gave me some super tomato plant! I smashed that thing, and when I turned back it was back up better than before!"

"That's impossible, Hale. Who told you to sabotage me?" Taranee demanded. Cornelia rolled her eyes, apparently unaffected by the glare.

"Oh, what? You think I'm in some evil conspiracy with some nerd rival of yours? Go back to your lab, Dexter, this is reality."

"Yes! And in reality, plants do not act like you are saying that a perfectly ordinary tomato plant did!"

"Mmm, all this talk about tomatoes is putting me in the mood for Italian," Irma hummed.

"They aren't usually this yelly," Hay Lin said, leaning over to Will. It was strange, and a bit entertaining. And not a real fight, even if they thought it was. She had seen real fighting back home; there was no mistaking the feel of things being ripped apart by words.

"Sounds like you girls need some calming tea!" the grandma, Yan Lin, spoke up. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, setting a tray down with five cups and a steaming old fashioned white tea pot.

"No cookies?" Hay Lin whined. Complete with sad puppy eyes at her grandmother, who proceeded to pour tea in to each cup, with her eyes seemingly closed.

"You'll need those later, but first tea. To sooth the nerves and calm the mind," Yan Lin said. She reached around the table with skill that her little old lady posture concealed, giving them each a cup of tea.

While Hay Lin and Taranee took a sip right away, Will joined Cornelia and Irma in just looking at her cup for a moment. They even had little saucers under them.

A saucer that could serve a nobler purpose by holding cookies.

"Ah, five girls, making the shift from children to adults. A time of strangeness, wonder, and less flowery things," Yan Lin said, opening her eyes to look at them. They all gave a look to Hay Lin, who just seemed interested in whatever her grandma was building up to.

"It reminds me of a story. One very dear to me.

"This world Earth and its people are not alone. And neither is the dimension it resides in alone in existence. For there are dimensions so numerous that even the beings old in age and wisdom in that vastness must label them infinite, unable to discern a true border to this vastness.

"Wonder abounds. From worlds in beautiful sterile desolation, to those teeming with life and chaos of all stripes.

"But in such vastness there will be foul evil things. Corruption and malice that can swallow worlds, entire dimensions, and spread like plagues across infinity.

"But against such darkness, there shines a light. The light of Kandrakar, the Fortress of Infinity, the axis on which the wheel of existence turns.

"And from Kandrakar a blessing was given to the peoples of Infinity. The Heart of Kandrakar, the power to bring hope against the despair of darkness. But it was a power not entrusted to simply one. While only one could bear the heart as its Keeper, its power would be divided by five.

"Five individuals, five mortals, would be entrusted with this power that could make gods tremble. For its true potential could only be brought forth by the harmony of the five as a group and each as themselves.

"They were the Guardians. Granted power, not to rule or stand in judgement, but to protect above all else.

"The world and race first entrusted with this great responsibility has come and gone, their lives long and ended well in the nature of such things. And so the Hearts has traveled infinity from one word and one race after another, from one group of five. Each having to bear the honor and burden of the Guardians.

"And now, here on this day, a new chapter is set to begin," Yan Lin said making her way to the cabinet.

"…Dang Hay Lin, is she writing this down? We could get something published," Irma spoke up.

If Hay Lin said something to that, Will missed it. Because Yan Lin pulled something wonderful out of a drawer.

It looked like jewel, but she knew it wasn't. It was beautiful, a faint pink glow seeming spherical in a silver setting like a globe. It was attached to a cord that Yan Lin was holding onto.

"The Heart has spoken to me today, a final word. Farewell. Because it's your time now," the old woman smiled, making her way back over to the table.

"Uhhh," Cornelia squirmed in her seat as the old lady got near her. From some pocket, or maybe up her wide sleeve, Yan Lin pulled something she tossed to the blonde. Cornelia snatched it out of the air with some decent reflexes. An acorn, Will saw.

Before all their eyes, it split open in the girl's fingers and a pale green stem emerged to wrap about them. With a start, Cornelia reached out with her other hand to yank it off, but Yan Lin gently held the offending wrist. Cornelia was still, and as they watched, an oak seedling was now being held in her hand.

"You have always had a certain affinity with the earth and its children, Cornelia. And lately it has become more pronounced despite your best efforts," Yan Lin said. Taking the seedling from Cornelia's hand with surprising ease, she leaned over to set it in the empty urn at the table's center.

She next moved to Irma, who turned her attention from the recent acorn to the old lady.

"You are one to go with the flow. Water behaves strangely around you. And you wonder why?" Yan Lin asked. Frowning for a moment, Irma reached out and pointed at the vase the seedling was in. Water erupted from it to splash on the table.

Taranee was rigid in her seat as Yan Lin came to her. Pulling out a book of matches, Yan Lin held the book in the same hand as the beauty to strike the match. Taranee flinched back and Will felt a bit of unease through the numb wonder.

"You are wise to be wary, Taranee. Your gift lends itself more to destruction than some of the others. But to deny it is to deny yourself, and it is no more 'bad' than you yourself," Yan Lin said. Taranee cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at the match. Which erupted in a spout of flame away from her, setting the seedling on fire.

"HEY!" Cornelia shouted, bolting to her feet.

Will was looking around for a fire extinguisher when a gale kicked up, ruffling he hair and stealing all the napkins. Also blowing out the seedling like a candle. only a bit singed, as Cornelia grabbed the vase in one hand to pull it to her side.

"And my Hay Lin, you always have been free as the wind," Yan Lin smiled at her beaming granddaughter.

And then it was her turn. The other girls were looking at her. Curious Irma, excited Hay Lin, queasy but trying badly to hide Taranee, and Cornelia looked offended with her singed plant more than anything else.

"Hey now, don't look at me! The closest thing I've got to a magic trick is that thing where you ruffle up your hair and can shock people with a poke. But tell you what, if I ever throw a party, you guys are definitely the entertainment."

"This, is yours," Yan Lin said. She gently grabbed the hand Will had used to make her poking gesture just now from underneath, turning it palm up. And lowered the beautiful gem into it.

It was warm. Will stared into its pink light and watched it recede, the sphere no less beautiful for its hidden light. The gentle old hands closed her fingers over it.

"And young Will makes five, the Keeper of the Heart.

"Your lives will never be the same. And I can promise they will not be boring.

"Or safe." She added with an offhand gesture.

"Wait, what now?" Will spoke up at that.

"Well, who wants those cookies?" Yan Lin asked the stunned girls.

 **X X X**

"There, as I thought, a good spot," Yan Lin said as they walked down a fairly steep grassy incline to the riverside. Aside from the fact that the old lady was leading the way without a hitch, Will was not too pleased with the surroundings. This was the rust belt of Heatherfield, to look at it.

Back home, her mom had driven her around once years ago, telling her places to absolutely not go if she got lost or separated. And areas isolated/deserted like this had been right up there with crumbling dying parts of the city.

And the sun was getting a bit too close to the horizon. The other girls didn't seem bothered… well, expect for Taranee, but she was probably still on that need to get home for homework thing before Yan Lin drove them here.

Yeah. Girl discovers fire powers and she wants her algebra.

"Now, this should just be a little feeling out session, if you would. Stretching the wings for a first flight and all that.

"Now, Will, if you please," Yan Lin said. And all eyes were on Will. Lots of different expressions, and she fumbled a bit, pulling the jewel, the Heart, out of her top.

'Oh God, what am I supposed to do?' The steady warmth from the thing was not helping, as she felt like her body was locking up. Had she been given some magic words? She thought she'd been paying attention!

This is taking too long, I look like a moron. Please, God, don't let my face look stupid too-

"It's not a matter of will, Will. Haha, sorry about that," Yan Lin said. She was besides her, a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Am I supposed to say a word or strike a pose or something?" Will asked, trying to sound sarcastic and carefree.

"Shazam?" Irma quipped.

"Name of the Moon!" Hay Lin called, out jumping a little.

"Ugh," Cornelia rolled her eyes.

"Hush now," Yan Lin said, without looking at them.

"There are words, and you know them just as you knew the Heart was yours. And like the Heart, it is not a riddle to be solved or a prize to be seized. It's a gift carried to you on the currents of existence."

Unless it's not, and I can't. That you forgot to carry a one or something and when you realize it I walk home while you go get the real prize winner or whatever, a persistent little voice whispered to Will.

"Breathe, relax. Let the Heart's energy flow. Stop letting your thoughts get in the way of what comes next."

Will breathed in; the air smelled of nearby garbage and flowing water. But it wasn't a bad odor, she noted. Holding it, she felt for a moment like she was eavesdropping again as her world came unraveled.

People didn't want her. She messed things up.

Breathe out, and she felt like she was standing here by this river and nowhere else. The Heart had a beat, she noticed.

"Guardians, unite," Will said.

She didn't see Yan Lin step back as light enveloped them, the old woman raising a sleeve to her eyes to shield them from the light.

Five streams of light, each distinct, surged from the Heart. Will thought there were spheres at the front, but they were moving so fast. The pink one struck her in the chest.

No, not struck, it was no attack.

It felt… good. A sensation of familiarity and safety. It felt like light, not warmth, but what light would feel like. Her feet weren't on the ground. She felt naked but not exposed. Eyes closed, her awareness was not lessened, and she curled up as everything of her was coated, permeated by this.

Spinning faster, but no haste. And others. Yes, four. So close but separate. Near but not stifling.

She was small, indistinct. She was light, energy, life, and-

It was over.

"Uh, ahhh?" Will gasped, stumbling on her feet a little. She blinked, looking down on the uneven red dirt with its clumps of grass, taking a moment to recall having something beneath her was normal. Like this wind thing, or that she wasn't naked.

'What. Was. That?' Will thought, steadying herself with a breath.

Above all, there was a lingering sensation of… extra. Like her senses were spread out beyond what they'd previously been by a very specific measure. She could feel the certainty of her arms and legs, her fingers and her toes sure as she'd ever had before. But still… there was more.

Her sensations gathered and branched where before there had been nothing. New nerves crackled up and down new muscles, all centered along her back. In the middle of each shoulder-blade, specifically, a tension, like coiled springs in her back muscles. A new awareness, and a strange chill like breeze against bare skin. She knew that was impossible, however; she could feel the back of this garment, nothing should have been exposed.

And yet when she tried to flex this strange dual sensation in her back, the air clearly disturbed, along with a faint humming. Finally, alarmed to the point of investigation, Will did her best to twist her head around and stare back over her right shoulder to find the offending incongruity. Blinking her large eyes, the teenager was met with what at first seemed to be the largest butterfly she'd ever seen.

But when the shock of that false assumption wore off, the far harsher truth reared its ugly head. Sprouting from her back, through convenient holes in her shirt, were a pair of delicate-looking tiny gossamer wings. Translucent and colored like stained glass, framed by thick black veins. Looking as close as she could, there were the tiniest scales visible, like grains of colored sand. The wings spread and folded with a thought, as though this unwelcome addition to her anatomy had been there all along.

And she could FEEL through them! The feeling of the air, the way they brushed against each other if she forced them to fold back as far as the joints and muscles would allow. The strain in her muscles. Carefully, she reached out towards one, her fingers hesitant to finally close the distance, mindful of how delicate the wings seemed.

But she took the plunge, brushing her fingertips gently along the side of one of these "wings", then let out a shivering gasp that arced down her back. They were sensitive, not in a painful way, but she could feel every groove of her fingerprint scrape away against the colored panels of many scales. It had a waxy smoothness, like talc. The framework was less sensitive by a margin and was glossy, with a waxy, shiny finish that seemed to suck in the light.

Hypnotically, Will could only watch as she made her brand new pixie wings spread and fold, spread and fold.

"OH MY GOD!" Hay Lin shrieked. Will's head snapped up and she saw… fairies?

Wait, those were the girls? Except they had…

"Unbelievable, look at these!" Cornelia cheered, feeling her breasts. She had breasts. They all did? Looking down, she realized hers were there, and smaller.

"And wings," Will pointed out. Something twitched on her back. Her wings were twitching. Her WINGS were twitching.

"Ehhh!" Hay Lin squeed, running around in a little circle. She seemed to be trying to get a better look at her wings, which were going like hummingbird wings. Cornelia seemed to have her focus front wise.

"Typical Corny, give her wings and she's only got eyes for the schmuck bait," Irma laughed, crossing her arms. And pausing herself at the unexpected obstruction.

"You, all have wings," Will pointed out. Cornelia glared at her; yeah, stupid question.

"So do you, ditz," Cornelia said.

"Oh," Will said dumbly, glancing back. Yeah, still there. She could see a bit of them. She tried to make them move; they didn't.

"Don't get too excited! These wings are far too small to displace enough air to hover, much less fly. At most, they may help break falls by slowing descent and controlling it to some degree, but even that-" Taranee broke in. Her hair was weird. Dreadlocks? Why? Then Hay Lin whooped and buzzed past them all.

Flying. She was flying around like a crazy hummingbird, darting over the water and crashing down into the river with a huge splash.

"I'm okay!" She called out, breaking the surface and waving an arm.

"But, but, that's not… Huh?" Taranee muttered, head tilting to the side and rubbing a temple with her fingertips.

"Tara, do not freak out; the universe has given you a rasta perm, girl," Irma said, taking the other girl by the shoulders.

"I need a mirror… What the hell happened to what was in my pockets?!" Cornelia said, after reaching for the pants that had been replaced by a green gown.

They were dressed differently too, Will noted. Some kind of variation of fantasy novel cover elves or fairy outfits in green, blue, and dark pink. Same colors, but different styles. Hers had leggings, she noted, kneeling down on the shore to give Hay Lin a hand up from the water.

"This outfit is awesome, though," Cornelia said. Will thought her leggings were comfortable, but this was tighter than what she normally wore.

"Nice lipstick, Will," Hay Lin said, wringing water out of on of her ponytails.

"Lipstick?" Will said, touching her lips.

"Ah, the old uniform. I could really rock that in my day," Yan Lin chuckled. Will was glad she was facing away from the old lady at that unwelcome image.

"This day…" Will left the words hanging as Hay Lin dragged herself back to where Taranee was talking about neural connections or some science class mojo.

 **X X X**

Phobos sat on the Throne of Thorns, not even half-listening to his courtiers — along with Raythor and Van — discuss minute matters, having been called together unexpectedly by this bold rebel attack.

He sensed something. Something had changed in the deep currents that lapped at the edges of his mage awareness. Hestine, naturally, was not noticing, for all her on-paper magical fortitude. Her ascension into jowled obesity over the years did not correspond with any greater growth of mystical knowledge. But Van… his friend was not nearly as vigorous in the discussion as usual. Not that these others could recognize her vigor or lack thereof.

So, did she also feel it? A disturbance within the flow of Infinity.

Raising a hand from its rest, Phobos gestured to the Lieutenant of the Court with three fingers. The man acted with commendable haste, raising three clangs by pounding the butt of his spear against the polished stone of the floor.

"Clear the central court!" he commanded on the Prince's behalf. Van walked sedately against the outward movement, cutting through Hestine's entourage. Clearing the space, Van walked up the dais steps as the others took refuge beyond the columns of the throne room. Reaching the top, she stood before him and slightly bowed at the waist. No small smile concealed from the court's eyes, he noted. As she took her place at his right hand, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a handful of powder.

The others were far enough away, he blew on the powder, breath thick with power and intent.

The glittering powder spiraled out and down onto the floor of the court room, kicking itself up a silent cyclone, too fat and slow to be mistaken for natural.

An image formed, a pink sphere glowing with power set into a silver axis.

"The Heart of Kandrakar," Van whispered. She took a deep breath, her neck puffing out slightly and her knees bending slightly as if resisting going into a crouch.

"Yes, but why?" Phobos wondered. Rising from his set of power, he raised his hand toward the swirling dust. Willing the spell to look deeper to follow the thread that spun this image before them.

"Ascension, my prince!" Hestine spoke up, coming around the display. She was leaning heavily on her jewel-adorned cane, breathing hard from her recent haste. Disgusting, Phobos thought, before considering the words.

"So, the crystal has finally passed to a new generation," Phobos remarked.

"Time to act. But we must be cautious, my Prince," Van advised, leaning in closer. Phobos nodded, but his focus was on the spell. The image of the Heart faded, but the light remained, and a face flared from its depths.

Only for a few seconds, the image of a girl, little more than child there before them. Innocent eyes, brown almost red, and short dark red hair against pale skin. It was gone no sooner than he committed it to memory. A memory amongst other memories.

"Most interesting indeed," he thought, glancing to Van. She was staring at the now falling dust, the magic spent. More secrets, such a lovely puzzle. No one else had reacted, his mind was not above playing tricks. And the questions 'why?' and 'how?' loomed large.

"Leave us," Phobos declared. The Guards moved to clear the room as the Prince of the House of Escannor pondered revelations and new mysteries.

"Not you, Lady Van," He said, as she made to depart. The Grand Doctor bowed her head, but looked up at him anyway.

"My Prince?"

"Contact the Portal Plunger, it's time we seeded Earth with your eyes," He commanded.

"By your command," she said with a smile. He watched her walk down the steps, as pleasant a sight as ever, he thought.

 **X X X**

Caleb searched the rock formations as he pulled his near feral mount up. The great bird snapped its beak, irritation at its conscription evident. And it was nearly spent; it had served well enough.

"Dismount," he said to Aldarn and the other rebels with them. The birds ran off as his men looked to him.

"Is he here? We didn't lose them, Caleb," Aldarn reminded him. A rock fell down from above; in the moonlight, their contact revealed himself from beneath the stones. Face cast in shadow by the hat of his, but his strange binoculars clearly clutched in one hand as he looked down on them.

"Rebel! This was not the deal. Barrels of cannon powder to be stashed on Earth for a time with a cut of the powder for my services. A squad of Guards in pursuit if you were detected outbound. You have a legion Battalion coming hard and fast, and Lord Cedric is half a league ahead of them," Tegus the Portal Plunger said irritably.

Caleb refused to be intimidated by a mercenary, no matter how skilled.

"Cedric has my scent, I'll pay you some other way."

"If he has your scent, you're dead. He's no Tracker, but this is no terrain to lose the likes of him, and you can't run fast enough," Tegus remarked.

"Take us to the portal."

"…No, I don't carry the war over there, rebel. That's beyond my neutrality," Tegus remarked.

Caleb heard Aldarn notch an arrow to his bow. Tegus didn't miss, if a hand went into that coat of his, that Earther magic no doubt. But they didn't need a fight.

"Fine, don't take me. Tell me where it is, and I will run. If I live, you get half the fee, and if not, who could prove I just didn't know it was there."

Tegus tilted his hat back, letting his face be lit by the moon.

"Send your men away. The Crimson Serpent can only follow one trail," Tegus said.

"Scatter," Caleb ordered his companions. They obeyed, running off into the night. Save for Aldarn, who hesitated, clutching the bow that was their only prize of the night. But he met Caleb's glare and nodded.

"I will see you back there," Aldarn told him, before running off away from the others.

"Head west; there is a slope there bare of even scrub, steep and treacherous. The portal is near the base, at night it can be seen at times like a prick of light, wavering in and out," Tegus told him.

"I understand." Caleb watched the mercenary climb back up into the rocks. The opportunist likely had a swift mount hidden nearby. Probably would have been smart to follow him and steal that to escape.

But no, Phobos' regime was the only enemy that mattered, and a good faith meeting being violated would damage the Rebellion whether he lived or died.

He ran to the west, the horns of Mars echoing behind him.

 **X X X**

"You're sure there isn't a safer way?" Will asked Yan Lin.

"Or saner?" Taranee asked. Will glanced to the be spectacled girl who was fiddling with one of her dreadlocks again. At least she wasn't going on about how their brains must be altered due to the wings and balance centers influenced subconsciously or something.

But yeah, this current "thing" they had going on here. It didn't seem to quite fit with this mystic guardians of justice or whatever.

"Aaaahhh!*splash*" Cornelia cried out as she plummeted into the water. Taranee squeezed that lock, sending some water out of it as some act of sympathy, perhaps. Will had taken a dip too. Which she was surprised wasn't giving her a chill, as the sun made its way to the horizon.

"Well done, Cornelia, I think you slowed your descent there," Yan Lin said, as the fuming blond pulled herself out of the water. Will pursed her lips; that smile… was the old lady trolling them on this "bird learns to fly" deal?

"Boy, you guys really can't figure this out?" Irma asked, descending to stand with the rest of them. They all shot a glare to her as she flapped her wings, giving them a little breeze.

"Don't worry, guys!" Hay Lin said, hovering down but not touching down, "It took me forever to learn how to ride a bike, but Cornelia figured it out quick. But I got it eventually."

Cornelia huffed and sat down on the grass. Which, Will noticed, started growing. As in, she could see it growing. And Taranee was already dry except for her hair, the old lady reminding her of her fire tricks.

And she, Will Vandom, got to carry the jewel. The very pretty jewel she had in her…

Her.

Her?

"Oh crap on Christmas!" Will screamed.

"Do these have pockets?!" Will yelled, patting herself down, wings buzzing away.

"What?" Taranee asked.

"I can't find a lump!" Will yelled.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Hay Lin asked, dropping down next to the panicking girl.

"Pockets, yes, no, please?!"

"No pockets. And yes, as Cassidy used to say, 'seriously whacked that'," Yan Lin remarked, opening one eye fully to watch the Keeper.

"Irma! Use your water magic stuff check the river!" Will said, going down on her knees to check through the grass. Which brought her to eye level with a confused Cornelia.

"What is wrong with you?"

"IlostheHeartIsuck!" Will said at her. Cornelia scooted back a bit.

A pair of hands clapped down on Will's shoulders, stopping her attempt to go crawl on her hands and knees through the sparse grass. Then the fingers started to rub her shoulders.

"Will, breathe," Irma ordered, casting a shadow over her. Will took a breath, then a deeper one and another.

"Now, please share with the class. In real language, please," the Water Guardian said.

"I lost the Heart. Can we change back without that?" Will said. Before the words could register with the girls, Yan Lin laughed.

"Is that it? Oh child, when you assume the form of the Keeper, the Heart is not easily lost," the old woman chuckled. Will frowned, thinking yet again she was the butt of some joke today.

"So, I impressively lost it anyway?" Will drawled. Yan Lin frowned and looked at the girl, who was still on her knees.

"You seem to have some issue with yourself.

"As for the Heart. Feel for it, and you will understand," Yan Lin said. Catching Irma's eye with a hand gesture, she motioned the girl to step away. With a moment's hesitation, Irma stopped her little finger massage and stepped back.

"I didn't feel it," Will pointed out.

"Not like that. You felt the Heart, what it is beyond the form of a jewel. Feel for that, not a shape," Yan Lin instructed.

 **X X X**

Caleb had abandoned his sword as he ran across the barren, rain-soaked stones of the wasting lands. Tossed aside to go faster. Cedric as close enough now that he could hear the monster's roar. Backed into a corner, he would test his steel against the likes of Frost, Raythor, or even the Tracker.

But to face either of the Hands alone meant worse than death; it meant the possibility of capture. So, escape or the dagger still in his belt.

Another roar sounded behind him. And, distant but drawing nearer, the Horn of Mars, the call of the Legion.

If he looked back he would likely see the monster.

No time to slip unseen through the portal. And no time for another plan. As he reached the slope and angled to slide down on his back, his left hand trying to guide the descent, he admitted the Mage was right. It may only take a single poor judgement to lose everything.

No matter, though. He was a soldier of the Rebellion; death was his companion. Either it was true that Phobos' minions feared to venture to Earth and he would survive. Or it was a lie and he would die.

Now, where in the Shaper's unspoken name was that portal?!

 **X X X**

"Wow," Cornelia said. The new girl was glowing. Well, only her chest area.

A pink glow was pulsing in a steady rhythm. One second she looked normal, for a fairy, then her ribs and chest bone, whatever it was, were outlined in black against a pink glow.

"You see, girls. When transformed, Will would have an easier time misplacing her hands than the Heart," Yan Lin chuckled.

"…You know, I'm not going to say anything," Taranee sighed, closing her eyes.

"There there, I'm sure it won't make anymore sense tomorrow," Irma mockingly patted Taranee on the back. Cornelia was glad to see that at least was back to normal — Irma seeing someone in distress and not snarking it up was the third weirdest thing today.

"So pretty, I wish I could do that," Hay Lin said. She was finally back on the ground. Small wonder the perky girl could fly, she was born with her head in the clouds. It wasn't Cornelia's fault she had to have her feet on the ground constantly to keep her friends out of trouble.

And new girl hadn't said a word since she put her bones on display.

"Hey, you okay there? That doesn't hurt, does it?" Cornelia asked, stepping up to the redhead.

"There is something, over there. Under the bridge," Will said, turning her head to look at it. It was a vibration, and a smell. Within she felt it, and without she could sense it like an aroma. But an underlying odor, too.

It reminded her of those flowers in the old dining room. Left too long and starting to rot. Sweet and sickly even as the flowers held onto beauty.

She had forgotten that. Strange.

Passing into the shadow of the bridge she realized she was walking.

"A portal, another reason I chose this spot. A gateway to another world.

"Mostly people require magic artifacts, natural abilities, or spells to travel between the worlds with the blessings of Kandrakar. But there can be natural portals as well, as the dimensions' separation becomes thin and holes form.

"I admit, the whole magic science on that level is beyond me. I preferred exploiting and learning about the people to the lab stuff," Yan Lin shrugged. Will was listening, but she was also looking, the light coming from her chest helping here.

She was close, too close for her new senses to guide her. Where was the portal?

"…The Bermuda Triangle is one area on Earth where portals occur fairly often, though not long lasting. Bigfoot is real, too. Well 'they'; pleasant race, really quite mellow, though they have some cultural quirks to set them off. But mostly they find their way back to their own dimension in a few days and that's that.

"But these portals in Heatherfield are something else. They come from the Veil," Yan Lin said.

"The Veil?" Taranee spoke up.

"Portal," Will said.

"Okay, it's dark and you're glowing, please act normal for a bit, okay?" Irma said behind Will.

"What she said," Cornelia cut in.

"Pay attention! This is important," Yan Lin cut back in. Will was ignoring it. That spot; was it wavering?

The portal bloomed before her, a radiant blue twist in time, space, and dimensions. It was a fairly old portal, she could feel.

And something else about it.

"Something is coming," Will said. Her head was clearing now that she had the portal in front of her. That was weird.

"What? Something's coming through the big weird hole in the air?" Cornelia demanded. Yan Lin waved off the concern.

"Oh, it's probably just the Portal Plunger. Though if we're lucky, it's a Passling instead."

"Portal Plunger?" Taranee asked, edging closer to the portal adjusting her glasses.

"Just a smuggler. He hit on me the first time we met, so watch yourselves," Yan Lin advised.

"Too much information."

"You go, Grandma!" Irma and Hay Lin said in sync.

Then a teen boy ran out of the portal and collided with Will, sending her falling back to the ground.

"Oh, very nice," Hay Lin said, giving her grandmother a thumb's up. Will looked up at the young man with shoulder-length brown hair and dark green eyes, he was wearing brown dominated by a brown coat with several patches and visible stitches.

He was looking at them with clear surprise.

"That's not-" Yan Lin sad, opening her eyes wide.

Then, Will realized he wasn't alone.

There is a difference between afraid, and terrified. Will know knew it. And her wings responded. She flew backward blind, her feet and butt scrapping on the dirt before she gained the air and hurled back to hover over the river.

The monster of red and green scales, its mane a startling white, roared as it lashed out, grabbing the boy in one of its claws.

"Will, close the portal!" Yan Lin yelled. Glowing yellow eyes swept over them, white fangs were bared.

The monster's other arm swept out, batting Taranee aside, smashing into Hay Lin.

The boy let out a war cry. She had never heard one outside of movies where they were mostly laughable. But it was that, a sound expressing a kill or be killed intent as he pulled out a dagger and stabbed the monster in that arm. The blade bounced away as she watched.

"Close it!" Yan Lin yelled, far away.

A hail of something, pebbles maybe, smacked against the monster's chest. It glared at Cornelia, who with her own cry, lifted her hand dramatically, pulling up a chunk of dirt the size of a shopping cart. Like some kind of Jedi, she mimed throwing, and the projectile shot at the monster. He backhanded it with his free hand and bared fangs like knives at them.

"Close it now!"

Fire sprang from Taranee's hands, striking the beast at its base.

And with a final look of contempt, it withdrew. Back into the portal, the boy still roaring defiance as he was dragged away, his knife lodged seemingly to no effect in that massive arm.

The portal glimmered and faded back to a speck.

"Jesus," Will swore almost silently, eyes wide.

 **X X X**

"Yeah Mom, love you too," Will said, hanging up her phone. Letting out a breath, she fell back into an armchair in the basement.

Sleepover was not exactly what she had in mind, but it was dark out and walking home would not have been her best idea even before the incident. And she did not like the idea… never mind, she thought.

Hay Lin was helping upstairs with some restaurant work with Cornelia apparently roped in. Irma was also collapsed, on the rug. And where Taranee went, she had no idea.

She had been looking for a place to pass out since they changed back. But she felt too exhausted to sleep right now. And where had Mrs. Exposition gotten to? Will sat up some, looking around the nicely furnished basement. Just her and the probably asleep Irma.

And the warmth of the Heart against her chest. Not in it, now. And wasn't that a thought?

What the heck? Shouldn't she wake up any second now to find this was a weird dream from eating a bowl of ice cream and pickles in one sitting before bed?

 **X X X**

The situation was less than ideal, Caleb admitted. The Mage had been right, a single mistake could risk everything you had built. He had gotten greedy at the thought of what the Rebellion could do with so much cannon powder. And not only lost it all, but now here he was on his knees, head and arms locked in a stock whose chain as held by Cedric.

Still, as he knelt behind the massive Changeling, he kept calm. All was not lost. While they had searched him thoroughly for weapons, they had not taken his boots. A trick passed on from his mother through the Mage. That left him some options if he had an opportunity to reach them, and a lack of prying eyes to forestall any action.

Also, the carpet in the corridor was surprisingly soft under him. Guess that's royal furnishings.

As the doors were opened in the midst of someone announcing something beyond, a thought occurred to him. He was at the Castle. This was the closest he had been to his mother in, how long had it been?

The thought of her potentially watching from some servant door was all the more reason to hold fast, he thought, as Cedric jerked the chain, dragging him through the doorway.

Into the Court of Thorns.

 **X X X**

It should have felt like she was being treated like a kid, sitting down on the rug with hot chocolate while Yan Lin sat in the arm chair with some old book. But maybe she was still tired or it was just natural with the others going along with it, but Will found she didn't care.

Sipping the wonderful warm liquid, Will watched Yan Lin tap on the leather cover of the book, seemingly gathering her thoughts.

"There are infinite dimensions. Worlds so numerous and diverse most anything you can imagine exists somewhere, and things you never would think of.

"But for you girls, one world stands out, Meridian. Earth's closest neighbor in the scheme of things. And these days bound closer together than ever even as they are forced apart."

Yan Lin opened the book and revealed strange writing and an illustration of some kind of symbol.

"Meridian is the seat of the House of Escannor, the royal family that has ruled that world for more than two millennia. The God Queens' regime was aware of Kandrakar, but their realm was insular with little to offer beyond a few gifted with wisdom.

"The God Queens reigned without any great challenge from with or without, for their ancestor Queen Escannor had bound a great power to her bloodline. The Heart of Meridian," Yan Lin went on. The next illustration showed a majestic woman surrounded by a circle of light. Before her vague shapes that Will thought might be people bowing spread.

"The Heart of a world holds great power, but unlike your Heart of Kandrakar, it's a power wielded by one. And it was the way of Meridian that whichever daughter of Escannor's line inherited the Heart reigned supreme as Queen."

"Go girl power, the princes just move furniture for the balls?" Irma asked cheekily. Yan Lin opened her eyes and showed and other page. Showing two rows of beautiful red hared women in gowns and other fancy attire.

"There were no princes. Every child of this line was female. Why, I cannot say, some magic of Escannor's, the Heart, or something else entirely.

"But a day came when things changed. A son was born to the sole Princess of Meridian. He was named Phobos, a name that means not only fear but conquest in Meridian," Yan Lin said, setting the book aside.

"Geeze, were there too many Saurons for that to be trendy as a baby name?" Cornelia griped. Hay Lin shushed her before turning attention back to Yan Lin.

"The boy Phobos was unique in many ways. Not only was he a man of Escannor, but he was a very rare man of magic. Magic which is rarely found on Meridian save among women.

"Time passed and the boy grew toward manhood. He grew in power alone, save for a girl who would grow into his right hand who studied beside him. When the Heart of Meridian passed from his grandmother to his mother, who turned a blind eye to the dark signs about her son, it was all but accepted he would reign one day as king.

"But the Queen bore another child. A girl, a true heir to the line of Escannor.

"Unwilling to stand aside from what he regarded as his birthright, Prince Phobos seized power in a bloody coup, murdering his own family. Save for his sister, who was secreted away to safety.

"While many rose to oppose Phobos, he called to his side mighty armies and lifted up monsters long driven to shadows by his ancestors. And other horrors were created by him and his paramour to tighten their grip.

"But he does not have the Heart of Meridian, and without that he can never truly rule Meridian. And as an unlawful ruler, Kandrakar raised the Veil to trap this evil and keep it from spreading to other worlds.

"His sister was sent here, to Earth, and hidden. Yet Earth is where the Veil is weakest. And the threat of Guardians has held him back as his world withers under his tyranny.

"But now, his time grows short, and he will know you stand against him, new in your power. I fear the battle for Meridian is already your war."

"Then that snake monster…"

"Lord Cedric, the Left Hand of Phobos and commander of his Legions."

"Haha! Lord, eh? I hop there isn't a Lady Cedric right guys? Guys?" Irma forced a laugh, looking around at the others.

"This is all real?" Taranee asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but unlike me and my Circle, you will not have the luxury of time or small fires to put out first. That boy today was likely a rebel, one of those who still resist. And that is the fate all too common on the other side.

"They need you, for if nothing changes an entire world will die," Yan Lin sighed.

 **X X X**

He struggled to stand and not be dragged like luggage catching glimpses of robed men and ladies watching from beyond the columns.

'I need to pay attention, this intelligence could be valuable.' Then Cedric grabbed the chain short and lifted him off the ground to swing in front of him. Caleb dangled, only able to see the pale underbelly of the snake.

"Behold the son of Julian, Caleb the Rebel," Cedric proclaimed. And dropped Caleb to the floor. Naked stone, Caleb thought, blinking away the impact; guess they ran out of fancy carpet.

"Well done, Lord Legatus," a man said with a smug tone.

'That's him, I can actually see the tyrant face to face,' Caleb realized, rolling to his knees. Since the shattering of the Council's last army, the Prince had not taken to the field. And the Mage had been insistent that he not spy in person at any mission the Usurper would be present for. Even without the Heart of Meridian, an Escannor was still of divine descent.

Lifting his head, he saw the crafter of the world's woes.

Disappointing, just a pale-haired man who might pass for a woman in the right light, without the goatee. Needlessly elaborate robes adorned with the Escannor crest, at least not gaudy in color or design like some nobles or that heretic Hestine.

Though the smug look, yes, that was expected. The way the Usurper leaned forward, smiling without showing any teeth, a gleam in his eyes… Caleb wanted to punch him in the face, probably would even if they were strangers just meeting.

"So, this is it? My, what a disappointment. Your father had a certain presence, as I recall. I never heard who your mother was, a peasant who you take after instead of your noble father, I presume?" Phobos chuckled.

'This mere peasant has caused you a lot of trouble.' He wished he could say it. But anything he said could be twisted into mockery, silence was his best defiance.

"My Prince," a woman at the Usurper's side spoke up. He had overlooked her in the shadow cast by the throne, but now she stepped forward at the Prince's gesture.

Lady Van. Her pale robe in this light make her seem a phantom from the moors. The moist skin of her neck and cheeks also catching the torchlight as her eyes moved over him.

'Not her. I can stand pain, but who knows what abominations she may inflict, forcing me to talk despite my will?' he wondered as she raised a moist webbed hand to stroke the side of her neck.

"I fought his father at the Surging Fords. He has the same eyes, the light of the killer is in them, shining bright and clear. General Julian did leave an heir," Lady Van remarked.

"Shall I take him to the tower, my Prince?" Cedric asked.

"No, not yet. He is well in hand, and there are other matters. Take him to the Pit. And well done in your hunt, Lord Cedric," Phobos chuckled.

The court joined in the Prince's mirth as the crimson serpent dragged Caleb out the way they had come. Except for one, he was certain. Lady Van's eyes were steady, following him until the great doors closed behind them.

 **X X X**

This was hands down the worst sleepover ever, Will thought.

She had not come prepared, nor had Taranee. And as generous as Hay Lin offering pajamas was, it was new clothes in an unfamiliar place with people she barely knew. And she could not sleep because her head was still full to bursting with too much information.

And any house sound was liable to set off her giant snake monster alarm.

Sighing, she sat up in the sleeping bag to look around the dark basement. Apparently the local trio in the past had used Hay Lin's bedroom, but five was too many.

Of course she would be the only one to not nod off.

Her mouth felt lousy. No toothbrush. Well, rinse again and see if she could do something about that.

She made her way to the basement half bath, not caring to keep quiet. Too late at night, or was it early morning for that?

Flicking the light on without closing the door, she grabbed the mouthwash from where she had left it and poured into a dixie cup. Taking the swig, she started to clean her mouth with tingly blue liquid sloshing between her cheeks.

"Ahem!" Cornelia spoke up. Will glanced over to see the blonde frowning as she sat on the toilet.

Spitting blue mouthwash on her in the small room, looking back, was not the best action.

"You dork!" Cornelia shrieked, jumping to her feet and smacking her pajama shirt's front. Blinking, Will noticed her pats were in place and the seat was down on the toilet. So, she had just been literally sitting on the toilet in the dark?

But her mouth was quicker than her mind, so she said:

"Christ! Don't sneak like that!" Will yelled back, hand pressed on her own chest.

"Wazzthis!" Irma demanded. The girl was blinking against the light, hands braced on the door frame. The other two girls were looking past her.

"Ugh! This is disgusting!" Cornelia whined, trying to hold the wet cloth away from her while still wearing it.

"Cornelia was on the toilet!" Will said, fiercely pointing to the blonde.

"…Can we all agree this is a messed up night to go with a messed up day?" Taranee sighed.

"Well, flying was awesome, not messed up. It was cool before the snake guy stole the cute guy," Hay Lin pointed out.

That did remarkably little to help, Will thought.

Though judging by the glares she was getting, she may have said that out loud.

"Okay, this is crazy. We have to do something. I say we start by getting that boy back from the monster," Cornelia said, getting back down on her porcelain throne.

 **X X X**

The Dungeons of Escannor, one of the few places in the Castle that did not seem to be affected by the Blight, Van thought, as Vathek led her through the labyrinth of dripping underground passages.

When Escannor chose to build her new capital nearly two millennia ago, the first had been the rudimentary keep that she resided in along with her court. The beginnings of the glorious structure that would proclaim the power of the Escannor line for ages to come. The second thing, a system of cells built into the vey foundations of that keep.

That first God Queen had many enemies, both grand and small. And she had preferred to keep her prisoners close. Some say her tendency to imprison vanquished rulers and other foes was mercy, part of her nature as the great woman ending the era of strife.

Others whispered that she enjoyed the power of locking them up so as to draw out their suffering at her leisure. That she kept her prisoners not only as hostages to the fallen kingdoms' and Houses' behavior, but as trophies of how great a former camp follower had become compared to the former masters of Meridian.

The original complete dungeon had been finished more than three years before the main castle. Escannor had spent a lot of time overseeing and assisting this complex of cells, oubliettes, pits, and torture chambers. And none of it connected by, say, a grid pattern or blocks like a modern prison. If the first God Queen had a model, it seemed have been some beast's innards.

The turnkeys told tales of apprentices getting lost and dying of starvation in the massive complex. After all, just as the Castle had been expanded and renovated by subsequent generations of Queens, so too had the dungeon received its share of expansions, and certain Queens tailor made cells and oddities of torment.

Budget being the mundane thing it was, the place was usually understaffed, quite functional, but the simple fact was even Phobos had never once actually filled this place up. Rumor of secret passages or cave-ins that opened ways into natural caves, sewers, or ancient ruins were the stuff of Castle tall tales.

This was no facility of rehabilitation; there was no pretense of mercy, or it being for the prisoners' own good, somehow. This place was what it had always been, a place to throw those society or its rulers were angry with as punishment.

Even sweet, reform-minded Weira had thought as much. More discerning about who she threw in, oh my yes. Pardoned quite a few, yes. But consider prison as anything more than a rot box for problems? No.

The turnkeys had not gone hungry under the late Queen.

The Pit was one of many, actually. But it was the closest one to the surface, and thus easer to secure. After all, as Escannor herself had thought, escaping when the most powerful beings on the planet are just upstairs is unlikely.

Reaching what looked like an oversized well in the floor, Van looked down it, her eyes easily piecing the gloom to see the man chained to the wall. Phobos had taken her on a tour of the dungeons early in their friendship. One item had been the slime the walls produced; thin and almost unseen, it was slick, thwarting any attempt to climb out while creating an illusion of possible escape.

All told by that boy with the same pride as he had in the gardens. Ah, what a messed up world this was.

"Do you want me to withdraw, my lady?" Vathek asked. Van cast a sideways glance at the large Galhot. She had checked him some, and there was no sign he was a spy. The first time around, Will had attributed his survival to evil having blind spots. But either he was actually loyal among all the changes, or the big guy was quite brilliant at covering his tracks as dungeon master for the regime and master spy for the rebels.

His record, attested by witnesses, had him awarded this post for distinguished service against the Rebellion. Including torturing a rebel officer into revealing a cache of weapons and a number of contacts and safe houses in one of the major towns of the Crown Province.

He shifted his feet under the regard of one of her eyes. An Eye Frog leapt out of her sleeve to the moist stones and hoped off while he watched. Van supposed events would vindicate or condemn him.

Either way, she said nothing and leapt down the Pit.

Caleb recoiled a bit at her landing; even if he had heard her, people always seemed surprised when she actually jumped around like a frog. Pulling out a vial of water, she shook it, forming the words in her mind. The water answered her and started to glow with a lovely icy blue light.

Judging by his scowl, Caleb did not appreciate the extra light was for his benefit rather than hers.

It really was him. She had not seen Caleb for over twenty years, but her mind felt like the dust of time had been blown off those memories, letting her see the face of that old comrade again. It was the same face, same shade of hair. Even the same duster jacket?

Ah, but the face was different, wasn't it? Controlling his feelings he might be, but his feelings were hardly concealed. Removed from the awe of the court room, he now looked on her with lethal intent. If the roles were reversed, he would need a reason not to kill her, wouldn't he?

It hurt. But not as much as she feared it might. Had he not meant as much to her as she had thought, or was it simply that she knew it was reasonable for him to feel this way? To him, she was just an enemy, distinguished only by the greater level of damage done to his side in his war.

Perhaps it was also the fact she was a woman and doctor now, and not a girl running wild with emotions as a Guardian?

"Van Rivers," he spoke up, breaking her reverie. Oh yes, this was happening now, wasn't it? Silly, silly her.

"Lady Van, or Dr. Rivers. Respect, please," she answered with practiced reflex. There was a list of who could address her so informally to her face. Both her due for hard work, and the fact that in this world if people got away with not respecting you they next tried walking over you. She would not repeat Weira's folly.

"Respect? Your title was earned in bed from the tyrant. And your doctors have done little to earn my respect."

"Actually, I received my personal noble title from Queen Weira. As for the doctor crack," Van answered. She spat the water bullet, cracking the stone two hand lengths from his head. He didn't flinch.

She smiled wide. Ah, still as brave and stubborn as ever. It warmed her heart.

"Did you have something to say?"

"You have somewhere to be?"

"Overthrowing a tyrant tends to eat up your days. This little break, I can't afford to stretch it too long," he shrugged.

"Ha! I'd say you have your father's spirit, but I seen to recall only meeting him face-to-face once, and there wasn't much banter. We were trying to kill each other," Van remarked. Not true, of course, but she wasn't going to reference her beforetime in these circumstance.

"I look forward to picking up where he left off with you," Caleb said.

"…Would you be so bold if I told you that I was here to take you to the Grand Hospit and pry answers from you on my operating table?" Van asked, leaning close. Ah, he tensed; yes he feared it, but his eyes didn't waver.

She was glad he didn't do something as uncouth as spit her face, only words.

"I have prepared for that since I first heard the stories," he told her. Smiling, Van ruffled his hair, always so scruffy.

"Oh, you precious little resistance fighter, you! Even if I released you and made it look like your own work to make Cedric look bad, you'd still have pleasant dreams of cutting my head off and frying my legs in butter for a feast, wouldn't you?" she chuckled.

"…I wouldn't eat you, who knows where you've been and what you have gotten into," he remarked.

"Heh, this grows tiresome with your impotent posturing. So I think I will leave you to the dark, and see if this isolation and darkness will erode your will like so many defiant souls before you," Van said.

Turning her back, she looked up the shaft, gauging the distance. She supposed her questions had been answered. Unpleasant answers, but not unexpected.

"Van Rivers.

"If not me, then another. The Rebellion is more than one man," the rebel leader said to her back. She responded without turning, crouching on the cold slimy stones.

"I know, but I know how much difference one can make. Pray for light, son of Julian," Van said. Without another word, she leapt out of the Pit, leaving her once-but-no-longer friend in darkness.

Much had changed, and much had not. Time to see if that would carry forward in this new phase. As Vathek escorted her out, she sent word to Phobos with a frog, she was retiring to the Grand Hospit for now.

What she had felt earlier, at that vision. It would be too risky to directly encounter them now.

'WITCH.'

 **X X X**

Some days made Tegus think about hanging up his hat, digging up his hoard, and simply settling down on one side of the Veil or other.

Oh, who was he kidding? For all the exoticness and pleasures of Earth, he felt out of place here. It was not home, be it ever so war-torn and rotting. Retiring here would never bring him peace.

But the greater deception was that he would retire at all. He was a rogue, and he would remain one until it killed him.

Still, what a revolting series of events. That Caleb was as thick-headed as a Lurden when he sniffed out any possible edge over the Court. Turning a simple theft into effectively kicking a sneg nest, said snegs being angry Guards and Legionaries out in force because they got attacked in the Castle, with their own weapon no less.

And no payday. If this were business, Caleb and his cronies would be out of it. But no, this was war, so somehow utter failure made them more determined to struggle on, despite the lack of pay.

But in the meantime, they had paid him a meager sum to see if Caleb had escaped to Earth and was laying low. Some threats were sent as well, they were not fond of his sensible self, after all.

He had been asking around the local beggars, or homeless as they called them here. He had a good thing going on there. They knew nothing except he usually had some cash or other good stuff for any strange happenings or new crazies popping up.

And nothing of note was coming up, despite hours pounding the pavement of Heatherfield.

So, he was guessing Caleb had gotten caught, and he would come back to find the Loyalists crowing about it.

Which would be fine. The Rebels would be mad, but he doubted they would blame him for Cedric's competence. And Van would not be giving him a quiet earful about dancing on the line.

But the sign had been put up.

Which meant the Guardian wanted to speak with him.

That woman was stupidly strong and utterly immune to his wily ways with women. And she never wanted to see him for anything good.

So, yes, days like this made him think abut hanging up his hat, Tegus thought, making his way through the streets of Heatherfield, looking every inch the frayed but not unsightly impoverished man, wearing a far less impressive hat.

He would change for the lady, but first he needed some privacy.

 **X X X**

"I still think the gun idea deserved more consideration," Irma groused, arms crossed over her new bust, as she glared over to where the other girls congregated. In general, they were all lost in thought, this being their second time turned into giant Tinkerbells. It was still a lot to process, not even considering the trip into Tolkien's nightmare they were about to take.

"Grandma had a point, Irma," Hay Lin defended, flitting about a foot or two off the ground, "Besides, she said bullets would have probably bounced off that thing anyways."

"Oh that is SUCH a comfort," Taranee chimed in, rolling her eyes in lieu of the shudder she held back.

"And you got the nifty water thingy!" Hay Lin added, pointedly ignoring Taranee's negativity, "I heard that water jets can cut sheet metal. That sounds way cooler than a dumb gun."

"When is that guide going to get here?" Cornelia said from where she sat crosslegged on the ground. She had taken a seat on the barren earth as the grass and weeds kept growing under her. Will thought she was crabby because Taranee had managed to fly this morning. Meaning the blonde was the only one land-locked.

"Grandma said it could take awhile. Good thing I brought snacks," Hay Lin said, eating an apple slice from the big lunch box she had brought. They had brought four backpacks worth of supplies. They couldn't wear them due to the wings. Hay Lin had gotten on Cornelia's bad side by theorizing that as Earth, the blonde may not fly at all and suggested she carry the backpacks.

And apparently putting backpacks onto wings is very uncomfortable, from Cornelia's effort.

"Someone's coming!"

Suddenly the sound of footsteps on the rough ground behind them captured the girls' attention and all five quickly turned to see a somewhat raggedy man in a wide-brimmed hat stepping out from the shadow of the bridge. From beneath the brim of his very notable hat, the somewhat rugged human-seeming figure's eyes seemed to glimmer with some mischief as he appraised the five.

"What a sight. An old friend told me Guardian generations came in fives; she neglected to mention it was five kinds of beautiful," he said, tipping his hat and setting a foot forward in some kind of bow.

"Really?" Taranee reasoned, unamused. Hay Lin and Irma by contrast were smiling at the man. Irma spoke up, even.

"Hey T, don't rain on the parade when it's not only for you."

"So Tegus, we meet at last," Yan Lin said, stepping out of yet another shadow. No wonder secret stuff happened under bridges, it was thick with hiding places. The scruffy man replaced his hat and gave Yan Lin an appraising look.

"You're the old woman from the Silver Dragon. You work for the Guardian," he said.

"Alas, no more. That Guardian is no more; these five fledglings have taken her place," Yan Lin sighed. Will didn't think that was just acting.

'Oh crap, I was grossed out about her wearing one of these outfits! But did the Heart let her be young again? And that's done? That sucks,' Will thought, guilt rising up in her.

"Sorry to hear that, she was a formidable creature- woman," the Meridian man corrected himself. He relaxed a bit though; Will thought she saw it in his shoulders. And a slight smirk on Yan Lin's wrinkled face. How exactly had she gotten this guy on her personal speed dial, Will wondered?

"They need your services as a guide to Meridian," Yan Lin told him.

"What? But the other never-"

"Things change, Portal Plunger."

"I don't suppose you ladies want a tour of the countryside? The south coast is quite lovely this time of year," he said, looking out upon the water.

"You're going to be showing us the way to the evil overlord's castle," Cornelia told him.

"Of course. Well, I suppose I can be at the service of a group of lovely ladies," He said, stepping forward and taking off his hat. And walking over to Will.

He held out his and and Will reflexively reached out thinking to shake it, only for him to take it and go down on one knee. And kissed the back of her hand.

Surprisingly soft, and warm. Not at all wet.

It was over quick, and he lifted his head to smile ar her.

"When did you want to depart, for my troubled homeland, O' Guardians of the Veil?" he asked her.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _This was as unexpected as most anything is to Gedatsu. Heh, little fandom joke. Now i am sorry for the xcontonied delays to long running projects. I was trying to write chapters for Dragon and Horse, Queen of all Oni, and Queen of Shadows; but this story just clicked for me. And rather than fight it I followed a friends advice and just followed my muse._

 _Hopefully I can return to work on those other three. For QoaO I would like to at least get it close to done this year. And the others are overdue an update. But as recent times show writing can be a fickle thing._

 _I can only offer an assurance i have not given up on these or other stories on my account here. And in the meantime I hope you enjoyed this chapter._

Special thanks to Trackula who wrote a part of the Guardian transformation scene; detailing Will noticing her wings. Superb work from a superb writer.

 _Long days and pleasant nights to you all._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. or any other referenced works.

 _Betaed by_ : Zim'smostloyalservant and Trackula.

* * *

Stirred

 **Chapter 2**

 _Begin Again: Part 2_

Van stood in the hallway, looking up through the iron-reinforced glass to the Castle above. Night would soon fall, and what would happen then? Would they come? Events were playing out similarly, but could they possibly hold to the course in the face of so many differences?

Even here in the Grand Hospit, one of her two seats of power, she felt a deep unease.

Matters were not so black and white this time. But if matters did play out, then she could be somewhat sure of Elyon's location. Which meant, what? Should she try to acquire her early, or leave it up to Cedric betting on the sure thing as far as time travel went?

Closing her eyes, she ignored Dr. Balden waiting patiently a few paces away. She was being haunted by the elephant in the room.

Will. Wilhelmina Vandom. She had wondered, without daring to press the thought for so long. If she did encounter another of herself, what would she do? What would she feel?

Now she knew. The intensity of emotion had tested her control. She could not be sure her mask had held, especially if Phobos had paid attention to her.

And all that from a brief glimpse. That face so like her own. But so wonderfully innocent. So sane and pure. Such a child should not be part of this horrid game of blood and shadows played between violent schemers over the throne of a world not her own. The Oracle had much to answer for, sending children to fight his battles.

But it was too raw. Van was a doctor, and risks should only be taken as needed for the procedure. If she could not guarantee control of herself after this glimpse, a true encounter was far too dangerous.

"Wake Gregor, I have an assignment for him. Meet me in Level Zero afterward, I will inspect your new breed myself," Van instructed. She could feel the middle-aged doctor's wide smile as he gave a respectful bow. She was told, like the bloodstains on his whites, a scent of blood hung about the Assistant Director of Level Zero.

She wouldn't know. After all, blood hung about her thickly as well.

 **X X X**

Taranee didn't realize her eyes had been squeezed shut as she crossed the mysterious threshold of light, until her foot made contact with hard cobblestones clacking under her heel. On some level, she must have worried, stepping through that apparent warp in space, that her eyes might be sucked out of their sockets by changes in pressure, altitude, who knew what…

But slowly cracking her eyes open after hearing no screams, she realized there was nothing to fear on that front. But the air in her nostrils spoke of other concerns. This was a foreign ecosystem; who knew the strange diseases they'd have NO immunities towards. The air smelled strangely musky and sour, for a world predating industry. She'd expected clean fresh air bereft of chemicals. Instead she smelled decay.

Opening her eyes, she saw they were in an alley, one overridden with broken boxes and stinking bags whose contents she would rather not know.

"Okay, follow me," the guide, Tegus, said. Turning away from the girls, he walked through the clutter, away from the street they could see. She noticed the area in front of the portal was clear of garbage. His work, or did the portal eat the stuff?

They had come from an unsanctioned junkyard to get here.

"Step too, you five stand out too much," he called, clearly but not loudly. Vandom set off after him, the rest following, Taranee let herself be last in line.

"Wow, brave new world alright, I could have seen this back home," Irma said. Hay Lin beat Taranee to the obvious rebuke.

"No, look at the buildings," Hay Lin said. Yes, they were all two stories, and the windows were all shuttered. Built out of wood planks or bricks. And all… slimy?

"We call it the Blight. The nice parts of the city get cleaned, but the slums just get filthier. Even the stuff that isn't living gets affected nowadays," Tegus said. Taranee couldn't see him. And she was agreeing, these outfits were horrible for sneaking, unless you were infiltrating a comic convention or a Renaissance fair.

A door opened ahead, she heard it, trying to see around the four people in front of her.

"First disguises, then we head underground," Tegus said.

 **X X X**

Van was pleased to see Gregor emerging from the Gargoyle guard post when she entered the courtyard of the Grand Hospit compound. She saw no point in bragging about the obvious, but the knowledge that at least one Gargoyle typically reinforced the Guards at the Grad Hospit greatly discouraged any attendants to violate the grounds of this place of healing and research.

And by luck, it was the alpha of the pack in residence today.

Phobos was content to simply call hm Gargoyle and numbers for his brothers. Van had insisted on naming him. The first of many considerations which had been repaid with devotion.

Van ignored the rain starting to fall, just like him, leaping to stand before the hulking, misshapen giant. His red eye fixed on her and she let him reach down to pick her up. A webbed hand atop his thumb, Van reclined into his palm and fingers.

He growled a question. He just wasn't made for conventional talking. Even his little brothers, where she had endeavored to create less chaotic results, could be clear enough to the studious observer.

"No problem for me, thank you. You have heard about the rebel leader, of course. I have some reason to expect the Rebels will try something. Go to the Castle and be on alert."

He growled and gestured to the vacant guard post.

"Hmm, no, there is no need to gather your brothers. This is better handled by one expert; we can't have you all going berserk and making a mess trying to swat flies with hammers," Van answered him.

Gregor's head tilted back then forward as he pulled himself straighter. Pleased, proud to have the confidence of his co-creator and namer. Ah, unexpected returns from such small investments. And why not, he had proven amenable in the end last time.

"To be clear, you are to protect the Castle from any attempts. If the Rebels manage to get their leader out, it will mean they have either new allies or a new asset of their own. If you see what looks like female Gallians with wings and fancy clothes be cautious, they have great magic power potential.

"And just between the two of us, the escape of the rebel leader will discredit Lord Cedric quite a bit. And I have already secured scent enough for the Tracker to hunt him down should he escape."

Gregor gave what passed for his smile and held her up to his face. Returning the smile, she extended her hand, letting his long gray tongue lick the back of it.

"A true gentleman, Gregor, now let us both be about our work," Van said. Tilting his hand, he let her drop to the cobblestones, easily landing on her feet.

She watched him go, the gates opening unbidden before him, letting him march into the busy streets of Crown City.

There. If the girls came, he would certainly discourage them, but they should be capable of escaping with his standing orders. And if he was damaged, she would just do for him what she did for his stabler but oh so much weaker brothers — repair the damage and seek to augment.

So her dice were cast for this round. Thankfully, Mimira was out on assignment in one of the northern borderlands.

 **X X X**

Hay Lin was nervous. She wasn't going to let on with that, because sharing feelings was like sharing food. Ideally, you shared the best you had and kept the bad stuff behind your back. Not that nervousness was bad, it was just sour, and there was enough sour from the other girls right now. So she had to add some sweet to the mix in the hopes of getting them all a balanced meal of feelings.

And it wasn't just the bad kind of nervous. These last days, not even a full two, had been amazing. She had gotten two new friends, superpowers, and now they were on another world. She used to think visiting another world would require waiting till she was grown up and someone figured out FTL and she was able fly said spaceship. Or just get abducted by aliens.

And she had so many questions for her grandma! Her grandma had been a superhero! It was like hearing Gandhi could do karate. Making someone who was already awesome, even more awesome!

And even the sewers were better here. This was spacious, like in the cartoons and movies. Tegus had said something about it. More on that Escannor family making stuff they didn't end up using, or forgot about. Which was understandable — her family had perpetually overflowing shed and attic space of mementos and heirlooms. And this family had been around at least two thousand years, so that they would have a lot of stuff left lying around was perfectly understandable. And she was getting hovering down.

Honestly, she knew she could pee in Guardian form from her first flight. Pure joy, but still. Irma had told her not to spread that around.

Sadly, Cornelia couldn't fly and was stuck walking along the filthy walkway with Tegus.

"Okay, if we are going to take a secret passage, why are we in disguise?" Will asked, touching down near Tegus. They didn't need torches, the walls had a certain glow to them. Tegus said that torches gave better light but also gave you away.

"Because it's not secret. Since before the war started, people with unsavory business use these tunnels. And the Guards make sure the Rebels don't use it. I wouldn't use this route if you didn't stick out so badly. The cover story if we run into anyone is that you're acolytes from the Crown Sistery that paid me to sneak you into the city for a fun night at the Flesh District."

"…I don't suppose acolytes are dedicated vegetarians and that's a street of butcher shops?" Cornelia growled.

"You are demanding I do something ridiculously dangerous. Don't complain when I have to use effective means. The guards are mostly men of either old military blood or lower class. They readily believe anything scandalous and laughable regarding women of higher class, including Sisters in training," Tegus remarked. She thought he smirked for a moment.

"Oh, papa, I told ya I didn't have what it took to be a nun!" Irma declared sarcastically, putting the back of her hand atop her forehead while leaning back.

"Oh, shut up," Cornelia said.

Yes, lots of sour here indeed.

 **X X X**

First day back, and she was sent straight to the dungeons. Mimira was not pleased; she had expected a reward for her successful hunt that had snared a number of bandits. Not Rebels, as it turned out. Just old-fashioned Galhot thieves using the Rebellion to generate unwarranted sympathy from isolated peasants.

Still, it was a problem solved in short order. And she was hardly acknowledged before the Prince sent her to patrol the dungeons. When she should be celebrating with the Legion. Lord Cedric had apprehended the rebel leader; the wine and food would flow, and other possibilities. Ones involving the Lord Legatus and sluts of Changelings, which she could not prevent if absent.

But no, the Prince was being a tad paranoid, and once again she was sent to guard against nonexistent means of escape or entrance to these tunnels and wards.

Well, if she was going to be stuck down here, she was going to get something worthwhile out of it. Van had told her about her fight with General Julian. She would see for herself what his son held up like when caught like a rat in a web.

 **X X X**

Could he make the climb?

He could escape his bonds fairly easily, he had already tested to make sure and he could reach the needle lock picks in the soles of his boots. Unless some unseen magic was on the manacles, but they seemed mundane enough.

And Phobos was arrogant. The Usurper's court, ever since his father's death, had regarded the Rebellion as a minor affair compared to the armies of early years of the struggle. No doubt they expected his comrades to scatter to the winds with his death.

But a foe backed into a corner was the most dangerous.

Still, the slime he could reach from here was slick, and it looked thicker higher up the walls. No doubt the lower walls had been scraped by the panicked efforts of those thrown down here over the years.

If they saw him loose down here come morning, they would kill him, or somehow subdue him before coming down. So the question was, should he wait to ambush whoever came down to collect him and try to escape then? Risky either way. He was not gong to dismiss either as hopeless. After all, had he never held such notions he would not have gotten this far.

There was their spy. Their mole in the castle that his father had dispatched before the Rebellion was forced underground. Even he did not know who it was, only how to maintain contact.

The spy had never helped any other rebels held prisoner here, to his knowledge. They had all gone on to the mines or the execution grounds. And not without cause; the information supplied had saved vital Rebel assets many times, and allowed them to strike at targets they would either have been unaware of or not dared to approach without the new knowledge.

Caleb was not sure if he wanted the spy to aid him. Getting him out of not only the dungeons but the castle would be immensely difficult. It was possible he would die anyway, and the spy would be exposed. The Rebellion would live on, but it would be hobbled for years. And even if he escaped clean, the spy might still be exposed.

Better to try and escape on his own.

"Hello, little rebel. This pit is gonna be the high point of your stay here, you know that, right?" a hissing voice smirked, getting Caleb's attention from where he was investigating the surrounding walls. Glancing up, he caught sight of what at first resembled a giant four-limbed spider hanging down the middle of the pit from a stringy line of webbing. A Changeling, clearly. Its blue eyes glared down at him, and though they were the only visible facial features the creature had, they more than made it clear what it was expressing.

Rather than entertain the barb, he merely sized up the beast, and mentally calculated if he could somehow jump up to it, and use that nicely provided silk line as a means of escape. The spider wasn't even any bigger than he was, and he was confidant he could take it if given the time to prepare.

But after a moment of thought, he dismissed the idea. It was out of reach, for one, and would probably pull away the moment it became clear he was trying to reach it. Besides, who knew what awful power this Changeling was hiding?

Also, it matched the description of Miranda. A Changeling of seemingly particular interest to both of Phobos' Hands. The spy did not know why, but any minion of Phobos' that drew the attention of his chief monsters was not to be underestimated.

"I can believe that. It's much better than the court room. That place stinks. Probably because everyone there is rotten. This place? Its a fine inn accommodation compared to some of the places I have had to spend the night," Caleb remarked, feigning relaxation, leaning back.

"…Heh, tough talk. But others have been laughing bold. They break or they die just the same as those who come weeping for mercy," it snickered.

"More dead than broken," Caleb noted.

"Perhaps, but just like you, the flies that keep buzzing end up in the web eventually. If we need to catch every fly, so be it. Your people don't have the strength to hope to seize power; one by one, you will fall until this war ends with a pathetic, unheard whimper," it practically purred.

"Not flies. Ants. And you can crush them one by one all you want, but as long as you don't find the nest, they will just keep coming," Caleb grinned. Few broken indeed — the secret of the Infinite City remained intact, despite them losing people who had known.

"Well, that's going to change. There are ways, oh Rebel. Not to be wasted on those who may not know, for their utter rarity or difficulty. Maybe both. But you know, and I assure you I will not be pleasant or quick. Pleasant dreams," the spider chuckled, turning upward to pull itself up the silk and out of sight.

 **X X X**

Tegus smirked when they reached the infamous horror looming before them in all its glory. Frankly, he hated being even this close.

The climb had naturally not deterred these flyers. But this, this would do it.

All it took was one prick, however shallow. And suddenly you were part of the whole ghastly affair for forever after. But this was an important learning experience. These were children, these Guardians, no matter their power. This conflict was no place for them.

"So pretty!" the bubbly Wind Guardian chimed, to which Tegus rolled his eyes in disapproval.

"Never seen so many roses before, not even at the local Botanical," the Earth Guardian remarked, hands on her hips as she appreciated the sight up and down.

"Never seen BLACK roses before, though…" the Keeper with the nostalgic face chimed in warily.

"I'm surprised to see any roses. I would guess they were imported at some point," the Fire Guardian remarked.

"These roses were not imported, they were made, and you had better step back. Three sides of the castle are defended by the moat between it and the city. That sheer cliff we came up was considered deterrent enough with guards. On the other side of that wall is the Royal Gardens, favored so by the Prince and Lady Van. They dislike Guards tramping through it, they say. So Guards were made unnecessary by planting these cursed flowers here. They turn this section of wall from the most vulnerable into the most impregnable," Tegus proclaimed. The Guardians looked at him, without the reaction he hoped for.

"Poison roses? Is that so hard to say, Mr. Exposition?" the Water Guardian demanded.

"Be nice, he's being a very good tour guide, informing and educating," the Wind Guardian said.

"Would burning them release poison? No wait, smoke would only attract attention anyway," the Fire Guardian said, not even looking at him but staring at the horrible flowers.

"Cor-" the cute one said, only to be cut off.

"Okay plants, lets see what happens when I'm doing it on purpose," the Earth Guardian said. She held out her hands and brought them together in front of of her, fingers pointing at the black roses.

Then she took several steps forward, his heart hitching, as she thrust her hands into the thick of the deadly blooms.

"No, you fool!" he yelled, running forward as if he could pull the young woman to safety. Only to stop, seeing her hand surrounded by about a hand's length of naked stone where her middle fingers touched the wall.

She pulled her hands apart slowly, and a line of stone appeared and widened as the vines pulled back.

Stunned, he watched a path open as wide as she could spread her arms.

"They, they can reach out to grab things that fly over them. Do not stray from this path," he stammered.

"Oh, I was thinking flying wasn't an option due to being spotted. Well, wait for us below, I guess," the Keeper said.

"Wait! You don't understand. These roses used to be people. Criminals punished by the Prince and transformed into plants. Each dark sin forms a rose bloom, making a greater vine depending on how evil the condemned was. But even so, it is cruel! And anyone pricked will join them; they say dozens of assassins and thieves cover this wall. This, this is a place for horror," Tegus told them as they scaled the wall, aided by their wings.

They hardly heeded him. Once they were out of sight, he turned to go. He wondered what punishment Kandrakar would have for his role in this fiasco?

 **X X X**

Hm. Someone had breached that morbid little garden of the Royal Family's. No need to speculate on to whom that might be, no local would be so bold.

'Shall I simply trust in their ingenuity to see them through? No, as far as first missions go, this one is hardly fair. I'll see to it they make it through, subtly. Let them swell with confidence at a task seemingly mastered unaided. They need to grow in power, I can't use them if they're weak.'

The spell of suggestion was almost an afterthought, she was so accustomed to its subtle charming. Everyone would swear she had been there and the lack of progress as such in the task would be attributed to her usual shoddy work ethic.

Not that her actual ethic was anywhere as bad as they liked to pretend. Ah, it never failed to amuse her that the most difficult part of this infiltration and triple life was not magical obstacles and keeping lies straight, but keeping her most used life so mediocre, in her evaluation, that she drew no great negative or benign attention.

A bit of magic let her make her way quickly, but the key factor was how well she knew the Castle. And assuming what they would have done back then, and the point of entry, she found them with exasperating ease.

Nostalgia surged, and she smacked it back down with practiced ease. A failure to control passion had destroyed her life once, like Hell she would allow any repeat of that in her second chance at life.

This was not good; their sneaking was befitting a burglary. They were even whispering, arguing on which way to go. By the Oracle's likely thin lower hairs, shouldn't there be a chaperone or something? Standards seemed to have slipped in her absence.

Oh well. Enough exasperation, how to move this along, she thought, stroking her invisible chin with a likewise invisible finger.

Hmm, ah yes! That could work. Timing would be a bit difficult, but pulling off nigh impossible deeds while making them look trivially easy had become a hobby of hers.

Besides, this was just what she needed regarding Caleb, she now decided.

 **X X X**

"We should have gotten a map!" Taranee whispered again from her spot in the back. Will rolled her eyes — ever since it had become clear they were lost and there was no convenient directory complete with a "You are here" arrow, the Fire Guardian had been griping.

"What makes you think they hand out maps to the evil overlord's castle?" Cornelia shot back. Not that it helped, but Will agreed.

"Shhh! Guys, someone is coming!" Hay Lin hissed. Sure enough, there was a light glowing around the bend of the corridor they were in. Spotting a closed door, Will opened it and was relived to see a small room, empty.

The girls followed her lead, rushing in and closing the door behind them.

"Thank you God, for conveniently empty storage closets," Irma quipped in the pitch darkness of the room. Will closed the door save for a sliver to listen through.

"Actually, for a place this big, it makes sense they would have multiple storage areas," Taranee said. Will was starting to guess she spouted info when nervous. She could hear the footsteps now, and men talking.

"Going to be quite a banquet, I tell you! They'll have that rebel leader's head on display and the wine will flow for the likes of us with the Prince's good mood," a man, presumably a guard, said.

"He's in the Pit, the first level of the dungeons pit at that. They won't be executing him soon. First he'll either be going to Lord Cedric in the Tower, or Level Zero. Maybe the Prince will want his own freak to have first crack at him?" another guard spoke up.

"Well, if they are going to take their time, why aren't there more of us here? I mean, two flights down and left at that stupid suit of armor with the tusks, and it's just a locked door to the dungeons," the first guard asked.

'Really?' Will thought, leaning to put her ear closer to the door. To hear a smack.

"Remember where we are, fool. This is the last place trouble could come from, that's why you are here."

"Well, look who's here with me!" the dumb guard retorted. They continued to bicker until their voices faded out of hearing.

Will opened the door and stuck her head out, looking around.

"Well girls, shall we visit the dungeons?" Will asked.

 **X X X**

Vathek, son of Kranelle, was no hero.

It was the way of the world for boys' dreams to be broken in coming to manhood, but he felt this reality was especially forced on him. Every day, he was reminded of that fact.

Walking the corridors of the dungeons he had come to know so well, his thoughts did not turn to the General's boy, but to Squad Leader Maekor.

For some reason or other, the slightly strange man had decided to befriend Vathek. And he had been strange, a fine officer and a true master of the pike in combat, but always insistent on the strangest things. Like the eternal discussion among the Guard on whether Lady Van or the Prince would make the first move in siring a new generation of royalty. Maekor had been part of the minority insisting no such thing would happen. Though unlike his peers' fairly reasonable arguments, he had insisted it was because Lady Van had no women parts between her legs. Only "smooth soft green flesh without a blemish".

Shaper, Vathek could still recall the man's voice clearly saying those words. And there had been other matters from gossip to theology, of all things, where the man vocally held stances that bordered on or were outright nonsense to Vathek.

Yet a good officer, and he had tried to be a good friend. Actively trying to draw the larger Galhot out of his self-imposed grim professional status — a memorable trip to the finer parts of the Flesh District stood out. And when Maekor had told him enough and sparred with him enough, and in general innocently said too much over those months, Vathek had betrayed information to the Rebellion that saw the strange man and nearly his whole unit wiped out in a bold Rebel ambush.

Just like Vathek had personally taken knives and hammers to Rebel prisoners to protect his cover. He was a part of this war, but he had long since forfeited any claim to a hero's integrity, or safety for either side. The Rebels would kill him for what they knew he had done, and the Court and the Guards would kill him for what they did not know.

General Julian had given him this duty, painting it as his chance to be more than just another soldier, that it could be all the difference for Meridian. If he, merely a soldier, Vathek, only had the strength to see it through to the end.

What would that magnificent bastard say now, when that strength he encouraged could mean Vathek leaving his son to die?

Well, he supposed what the long dead Gallian would have wanted didn't matter. Vathek had made his choice. It would have to be done with greater delicacy than anything he had attempted before, and there was a good chance he would have to get maimed to maintain his cover.

He shuddered, reaching the entrance station to the dungeons. The thought of ending up on one of Lady Van's tables was not pleasant. Some said the doctors could read if a man was true or deceptive by peering at his living entrails.

He was distracted by plans and morbid thoughts. So it was only when he reached for the master key on its hook, one among dozens of false or lesser keys, and found it empty that he realized how wrong the room was.

The door was standing open. The first law of the Dungeons was that no door, especially that one, was ever to be left open a moment longer than needed for what needed to pass through to clear.

Pulling his mace from his belt, his eyes darted around, settling on the table. The cloth had been laid out, a patched gray thing nearly reaching the floor stones. When was the last time someone had bothered with that?

With one swing of his mace catching the bottom rim of the tabletop, he sent the piece of furniture flying. Raising his mace for another strike, he froze. So many bright colors?

'What?' He thought, confused by the sight plain but senseless before him.

"Who are you!?" he demanded, still holding his weapon up for a strike.

"Eat this!" the blonde one shrieked. Reflex saved him as he countered a stone ripping from the floor, smashing it into shards as it rushed toward his face.

Two more impacted him in the gut and chest. Leather armor under his jacket and his toughness kept him from falling or doing more than exhaling in pain at the blows.

"Rebels?" he said, glaring as they spread out. Gallians, no, were those wings? Some Sisterhood magic?

Wait, this could be-?

"Guardians!" one of them yelled, he wasn't sure which one.

But he knew that title.

And then a rock from the ceiling came down hard on his head and the world vanished in a flash of light.

 **X X X**

Cold water splashed in Vathek's face.

"Shaper curse it Maekor!" he grumbled.

Oh wait, he was dead. And his hands were tied. Blinking away spots in his eyes, he saw he was in the corridor just down from the entrance station. And the so-called Guardians were staring down at him. The blonde in particular was looming over him. Or trying to, at least — Gallian women could be so small. And they certainly had the look. A cousin race, perhaps?

"Okay, the big guy is awake."

"So, ask him!"

"Right. Tell us where the rebel prisoner is."

"The brown-haired boy the snake man caught."

"Please?"

"…"

"What? It doesn't hurt to be polite," the one with her hair in long tails said. Vathek blinked, trying to forcefully will his vision into full clarity. That had been a good hit. Tasting some blood on his tongue, he reflexively spat. It landed on the red-headed one's shoes.

"Eck! So much for manners!" she cried out, holding up the offended foot and jerking it around to throw the spit off.

'What in the Shaper's names?' Vathek thought They hardly acted like soldiers, much less the kind of elites that might make it this far. But they were after Caleb, and they had gotten in, past the most formidable obstacles.

Keep your head, Vathek, you can make this work, he decided. The darker skinned one wearing glasses stepped forward, frowning at him. Strange hair, he was certain he had seen that style somewhere before.

 **X X X**

"Okay, enough, lemme see if this is just like in books," Taranee grumbled, shoving past the others and to where the large alien… troll… rock thing was bound. Leaning in, she held an index finger up before his eyes, and a tiny concentrated jet of blue flame, like from a blow torch, erupted from the tip, hissing menacingly.

"Uh, Tar'?" Will asked, tugging at her collar.

"Okay, big guy… or girl. I dunno how sexual dimorphism works with whatever you are. Tell us where the rebel leader is or I carve out a more cooperative face."

"Try it," the brute growled back at her. Taranee frowned and leaned forward, moving the flame closer… and let it die. Letting out a big sigh, she stood up.

"Wow, very impressive, firebug," Cornelia said.

"Oh, shut up! It's not like I took a course in torture," Taarnee snapped at the blonde.

"Okay girls, if anyone here is a sociopath with sadistic tendencies, now is the time to shine!" Irma said mockingly.

"Can we please, please keep the volume down?" Will asked.

"Are you really intruders, or some troupe of clowns auditioning for the banquet?" the blue brute said from the floor. Taranee frowned; the guy tied up was coming across as more in control than they were.

"Okay, maybe just grab the keys and check? I mean really, how big can these dungeons be? We know it's on the first level," Taranee proposed. The big guy chuckled at that.

"Oh, you can't be Guardians. You don't even know what you are getting into. Best run back home to your mothers, foolish little girls," the guard cackled. Cornelia kicked him in the side; judging by her flinch, he was more solid than she expected.

"That was not very nice," Hay Lin said. Taranee ran her hand over her hair, not sure if the wind blower was talking to the prison guard or Cornelia.

'They never have trouble like this in the movies.'

"This crap never happens in the movies," Will sighed.

 **X X X**

Vathek was stunned these fools had made it this far. The castle security had its flaws, but this kind of behavior would get Guard recruits digging latrines and scrubbing dishes if done in a war game.

If Caleb was to have any hope of escape, he needed to give them directions. But it was clear they were not trustworthy with an important secret like his. So they needed to "beat it out of him". But they hardly seemed up to the task.

Well, the blonde one had kicked him. That could be his route to a convincing beating, because he needed this to look good to avoid suspicion.

The first few insults he threw out did no good. They only earned a few glares and even wiped the smile off the face of the hair-tailed one. But no violence. They were discussing leaving him and just continuing on.

Vathek blamed his small history with women for not being able to properly provoke them. It was his career and poor social life — not many Galhot women playing roles in it. The Castle, as ever, seemed to hire Gallians for anything that didn't involve the possibility of hitting someone with a weapon.

They would get lost, Caleb would die. So he would just have to spill and rough himself up.

Still, this was just disappointing. These were the Guardians?

"No, we are not going in there blind!" the blonde was saying.

"Keep it down," the quiet one hissed, her wings flapping some. Huh, he wondered if it was frustration. Like how some Legionaries slipped into making their animal half noises even in their Gallian forms when angry.

"Well, we can't just stand here, someone will change the shift or something," the weird-haired one said.

"Well, maybe we catch them and they will spill?" the plain-looking one said with a shrug.

"Oh, enough already," the blonde seethed. As Vathek watched, her hair stirred like an unseen wind, and a chunk of floor ripped up and was "carried" over by her, still floating. Without a word she slammed it down into his stomach. When it broke, she slammed the two shards down on his shoulders. He cried out, more in surprise than pain. But still, ouch. A lot.

'Finally,' he thought through the daze. Then a rock smacked into his nose, breaking it.

"Cornelia!?" someone said.

"Hey, if I'm earth, I may as well do the dirty work. So, big guy, ready to talk?"

It so happened he was. Any more and she might accidentally knock him out too much.

Hopefully he could make this look good for the follow-up.

 _Shortly_ :

"I am going to die," Caleb said aloud. He was not sure how much time had passed, but he was reasonably sure the spy would have made a move by now. And he was also fairly sure that if Miranda was lurking about, she would not be able to resist pouncing on seeming despair.

Only the silence of the dungeons answered his words.

Well, to work then.

The Mage had made him practice being able to reach and use tricks like needles in his boots while bound. Bound in various and mostly uncomfortable, and sometimes humiliating ways. Her stern claim throughout being that it need only prove useful once to be worth it.

Well, he had agreed in principal before. Now, rubbing his wrists as he stood up at the bottom of the pit, he could agree in fact. Still, it had taken awhile to get the shackles off. So should he forget about trying to climb and try to lie in wait?

No. That was just choosing death. As unlikely as scaling this slime-coated pit was, it was still fighting to survive.

Squinting, he stepped up to the wall, looking up at the path he might take. Surely it wasn't fully uniform? There had to be better and worse patches, right? They had chained him, so that indicated they themselves were not certain it was impossible.

Despite knowing full well there was nothing, he glanced around for anything he might use as a scaling spike or such.

And no time to inspect for a so-called better path, much less assuming he could see it in this light.

Oh yes, Aldarn would have a lot to say about how well thought out and admirable his planning was here.

'Which would be fair. Had Aldarn been the one to go in, he would have aborted the operation too soon rather than too late, and neither he nor I would have to face imminent death at the hands of some oversized hole.'

No sense delaying, Caleb concluded his thoughts. Taking a breath, he sought out a foothold and grabbed a handhold. Not slimy, but still slick already from moisture.

And then pink light illuminated the hole.

"…Shaper's. Withered. Mounds," Caleb cursed into the wall.

"Hey, rebel leader guy, are you down there?" a voice called from above. Caleb squinted his eyes, pondering the pink light. Was he being rescued?

"I'll check," another girl said, out of sight.

"Be careful, Will," another said.

A winged figure was silhouetted against the top of the hole, light pulsing from its chest.

Did he hear a buzzing?

The figure descended quickly, more a controlled fall he would later think. Landing with a clack on the floor, only to then skitter as she nearly lost her footing on the slimy floor.

"Eck! When was the last time someone cleaned down here?" the Guardian girl he had seen on Earth complained, grabbing her nose in one hand. Then, seeming to remember what she was doing, looked at him.

"…You're alive. He's alive!" she called back up.

"Guardians?" Caleb asked.

"Heh, so I'm told. Want a lift?" the red-haired girl asked. Caleb glanced at the silhouetted bones of her torso as the light pulsed. Apparently the stories left some things out.

 **X X X**

Will felt ridiculous hooking her arms under the boys'. And it wasn't because he was taller than her and she stepped too close at first, making her chest brush against his coat. Yes, not that.

She felt ridiculous because it was odd enough these wings could support her. Back in flight training by the river — oh good God, that had been only yesterday — they had hauled each other up in pairs.

There was no way she would be able to…

"Strong flyer," he remarked.

'Aaand I'm already doing it,' Will realized as they ascended. He didn't even feel heavy in her arms, she wasn't even holding him so close as to be compromising.

Thinking too much or too little, they dipped in the air. Will cried out as the missed beat nearly flipped her over, the boy dragging her down. For a long moment, she fluttered frantically in an awkward bent over in the air pose, before righting herself and continuing up.

"Quiet, the spider will hear you," he said. Will frowned? Spider? Giant spider guarding spooky dungeon? Spider with a capital "s"? Of course, why not?

And had he not screamed when they nearly plunged? No fair, he should be more scared as the passenger.

'Or he doesn't realize I have no idea what I am doing?'

"You did it!" Hay Lin cheered as they passed the rim and Will let him step onto the floor, amongst the girls while she hovered.

"Quiet! Even if you took out all the guards, we are still deep in enemy territory," the boy commanded. And yes, that was a command, no mistaking.

"Well excuse us for helping out with your holey ordeal," Irma snapped. He frowned at her, the pun seemingly wasted. Or maybe he just agreed with Will it was a bad one?

"Uh, so, hi again. What's your name?"

"Caleb," he said, walking past them and glaring around at the dark passages.

"We need to go before the spider returns. Can you fly us out if we get out?" he asked.

"I think so?" Will said. Why was he addressing her? He looked at her chest; frowning, Will stepped back, 'Hey now, manners!'

"Can you douse that? We don't want to draw the spider's attention if we can help it," Caleb said.

Oh yeah, her glowing bone thing. Funny how a girl can get used to that feeling… and done. Out went the light, and back to creepy non-pink lighting.

"Spider? Giant spider?" Cornelia broke in.

"Ah, and here I expected a dragon or an ogre warden armed with manacles for maces or something. Silly me," Irma snarked.

"Worse than a giant spider, a Changeling one," Caleb said, taking one of the passages, leaving them behind.

"Guess he remembers too," Taranee said, starting after him.

It was only after they were all after the rebel boy, with Will bringing up the rear, that Will realized she had not gotten a thank you.

Jerk.

None of them noticed a tiny frog with a mark like an eye on its back hopping after them through the dank passage.

 **X X X**

"Inconceivable!" Mimira thought, watching the prisoner and his ornately dressed accomplices make their way toward the entrance. She had noticed a mark drawn at an intersection, seemingly burned onto the stone, on her rounds. Still somewhat warm. Following it deeper had been the route to the prisoner's pit. And nearly led her straight into their escape.

But she had them, now.

They were close together, a cluster practically, with the dark-skinned one in the lead.

The wings were odd, as were the clothes; perhaps they had disguised themselves as performers for some celebration planned in the castle?

The Guard would be put under the scalpel for such an oversight. And her standing with the Legion would grow immensely for wrapping up this escape attempt.

Like so!

She spread out the net web she had been working on. Perfect execution, it should have caught them all as they paused at the intersection below where she had erased their arrow mark. But the rebel leader somehow detected it, and threw himself back, dragging the blonde one with him.

Mimira smirked under her fur as the others cried out and struggled in her web. It never got old.

But now to deal with the flies that had escaped the snare. Releasing her grip on the ceiling, she twisted in the air, landing feet first behind the two escapees.

"Miranda!" the rebel shouted.

"Spider!" the blonde screamed. She threw out a hand, but Mimira saw no magic and heard no spell.

But she did hear stones crack.

'What?' Glancing to the floor in front of the blonde Gallian, she saw the stone block splintered as if if a Gargoyle had punched it. Then the shards were flying at her.

"What!" she cried out, throwing her arms over her eyes as she was pelted.

Never be still, and never ever be still and blind. She expelled a line of web upward, hitting the ceiling and raising herself. She uncovered her eyes to see and feel more stone shards flying through the space she had been in.

Then one of them took to the air, and it was clear those wings weren't for show, and a hurricane sent her back and up, slamming intro the ceiling.

Which loosened under her impact, and shifted.

'Oh no!' Mimira thought, before the section of ceiling fell away, carrying her down to the floor.

Light flashed on impact, and she said the worst cuss word to come to mind as she focused on the stunned face of the rebel leader.

Dumb luck.

 **X X X**

"Is it dead?! I think its dead!" Cornelia said, frantic, staring at the still spider monster pinned under the piece of ceiling. Taranee looked up, frowning.

"This place looks ancient, and if it's falling apart, we should get out."

"No argument here!" Will said, pulling the boy along.

"We should make sure," he protested, as they dragged him around the monster.

"Less talk, more walk!" Will commanded. He broke her weak hold but came along.

 **X X X**

"You're sure this is the right way? Seems like it didn't take so long coming down," Will said. Glancing back, she kept thinking she heard something following them. Maybe they should have thoroughly squashed the spider?

"I marked the way, Vandom," Taranee said, sounding like she had been insulted. Reaching another intersection, she checked her mark. Turning into the appropriate doorway, she stopped.

"Hello," the blue brute grinned, his good eye narrowed in nasty glee, several guards behind him as he hefted his flail.

Taranee screamed and a screen of fire popped up in front of her.

"Throw rocks! Lots of rocks!" Will yelled, shaking Cornelia by the shoulder.

"I know!" Cornelia said, and practically tripped all of them as the floor crumbled beneath them and went flying into the fire, pelting the men beyond.

"Drop the fire and rush them, we can't let them trap us!" Caleb said. Taranee barely dropped the fire before he barreled through the doorway. He knocked the brute's feet out from under him and sent him back. The girls watched as he took down the squad and grabbed a sword from one ugly guy's belt, and knocked him out with the pommel.

He turned and saw them staring at him, and rolled his eyes.

"Let's get out of here, they'll have raised the alarm. If the garrison gets to the dungeons' entrance before we do, this escape will just be delivering the tyrant more prisoners."

 **X X X**

A guard ran up to the carriage and bowed his head toward the door.

"Report," Phobos said, tapping his knee irritably. He did not even turn his head to better look at the guard.

"Five Battle Sisters, my Prince. They must have snuck in," the guard reported.

"Or perhaps they came in dressed festively, playing instruments for a parade. So is the matter in hand?" Phobos asked, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, my Prince, the Chief Gargoyle should be ready to engage them in the lower courtyards, and the Guard and Lurden garrison will move to support him."

"Gargoyle has waded through ranks of soldiers to dispatch Sisters. You could say fighting them is what he was built for. Hmm, they must have snuck past Miranda. I expect she will join in soon. I will carry on my business at the Grand Hospit. Send a message to General Raythor — even as a failure, this infiltration is unacceptable.

"…See if you can take one of those women alive," Phobos ordered, before closing the door to the carriage with a snap of his fingers. Crossing the divide into the city proper, he glanced backward at the Castle he could not see.

Very bold, he had not thought they had five Battle Sisters left under the main rebel group to send against him.

 **X X X**

Caleb was breathing hard by the time the motley crew finally reached blessed open air, somewhat vexed that the girls surrounding him were breathing just as easily as before they'd begun. Well, it made sense given they were Guardians, but on a purely emotional level it was annoying.

But still, he couldn't keep a dour mood, being back outside under his own power. A privilege he didn't expect to experience ever again. Certainly beat having to talk himself into swallowing his own tongue rather than be tied down to Dezzhed's chair or worse, like so many of his compatriots.

"What's with that short tower over there?" the elf-like blonde asked, arching a delicate eyebrow as they stared ahead.

Caleb frowned, following her line of sight. "A tower? There's not supposed to be a tower here…"

Slowly, the mushroom-like stone cylinder began to shift and turn.

"Gargoyle!" Caleb shouted. He ran to the left; retreating back into the corridor would only trap them between the creature and the coming reinforcements.

Then the blonde, Cornelia, ripped off part of the ground and threw it.

The Gargoyle had turned fully, revealing his single red eye, seeming to glow in the moonlight. He caught the mass of cobbles and packed gravel in one hand. And tossed it back with a roar that may have been amused. The girls scattered like birds, save Cornelia, who froze and was hit square by her returned projectile.

Caleb winced at the sight. He couldn't see her beneath or maybe behind the rock. But he had seen enough to know even hearty Galhots did not get up from something like that.

"ROOOOOO!" The Gargoyle roared. Charging Caleb, its knuckles scrapping the ground in its haste.

Caleb moved to the side, a steady run. He had faced Gargoyles before; their charge was their great speed, but they could not change direction easily.

His tactics were forgotten as the Fire Guardian screamed out something and flew down to douse the creature in a stream of fire. Too close, Caleb thought with urgency. The stone-skinned creature came though the fire with only locks of hair burning, and backhanded the dark-skinned Gallian-like girl away.

'Like a fly' Caleb thought sadly.

"What is that?!" Will demanded, landing by him.

"A Gargoyle. 'The' Gargoyle, one of Phobos and Van's nightmares made reality for all of Meridan to enjoy."

"How do we beat it?!" She asked, as the Wind Guardian zipped around the monster, evading its increasingly frustrated swipes.

"We don't, without a pit trap, a lot of soldiers, battle mages with a lot of corrosive skills, or a lot of luck. Can you carry me out?" he asked. She looked at him like he was speaking a different language.

Resisting the urge to snarl at her, he grabbed a shoulder with his free hand and pulled her up to eye level.

"We need to get out of here or your friend's sacrifice will be meaningless!" he shouted.

"…Cornelia's not dead! Irma and I can't get the rock off of her. Help us!" She snapped.

What?

Sure enough, when she dragged him along to the boulder, he saw the blonde was still breathing if unconscious, but her torso and most of her legs were pinned under the stone.

She should be crushed, at least unable to breathe under the weight he saw the two girls fail to shift. Maybe the Guardians did have something special going for them?

Trusting his instincts, instead of coming to the two winged girls' assistance, he knelt and slapped the blonde in the face.

"Get up! This is no time to rest," he ordered.

"G'way Lillian!" she slurred, as her eyes snapped open. Blinking at him, she tried to rise, only to find herself pinned. And pushed the rock off, sending it flying and, to his shock, this time it did strike the Gargoyle squarely in the back. Only it broke apart on impact, at most staggering the creature.

It turned and bared its teeth, and rearing up, cracked its knuckles. Right about then, Guards and Lurdens began to surge through the entryways into the courtyard.

"Ohhh crap," Cornelia said, as Will hauled her to her feet.

"Kill them all!" Cedric roared, knocking guards aside as he surged through a doorway.

The blonde took to the air with a shriek at the hissing serpent man.

"You can fly! Grab him!" Will said grabbing one of Caleb's arms. Lowering herself down, Cornelia grabbed Caleb's other arm around the elbow. And he was lifted into the air.

"Yeah yeah, go go!" Will said, as they gained speed, the other Guardians forming up.

Wait, forming up?! Archers!

"Loose! Kill them all!" Cedric called out.

He couldn't really look back, but he felt the wind rip around them, Will nearly dropping him as the Guardians were buffeted. Bu no arrows came into his sight, and no cries of pain from his rescuers.

Cedric's enraged roar confirmed it. Caleb smiled.

"This isn't over! We have given the Tracker enough scent of you to track you across this world! You will not escape the hunt, rebel!" Cedric roared after them.

Glancing down, he saw a carriage nearly enter the castle only to come to a sudden stop. A figure in white got out, but was quickly left behind as the Guardians flew off away from the city.

"Anyone know where we are going? We can't exactly swing back for our insider," Taranee said. Hmm, that was interesting, Caleb thought.

 _Shortly:_

Will let out a big breath as the light faded and she saw the underside of the bridge from last night. Tegus followed behind her, nearly plowing into her back, but to her surprise he nimbly spun around her, and even tipped his hat.

His mood seemed improved from lurking around the portal as they had found him.

Her shoulders sagged and her wings dipped, as she absorbed it had not been been two days since all this started.

She took a deep breath as the others mingled and muttered. Maybe it was her imagination, but even the air seemed different here rather than back there, making her feel recharged and tired at the same time, like coming home from a terrible field trip.

"Hey! Will! Do what Yan Lin said and close this portal already!" Cornelia shouted. Forehead furrowing and frowning at that tone, Will let out another calming breath before turning back toward the portal.

Her torso was still pulsing, and she could feel the portal just as she had been able to with them carrying Caleb and later Tegus when Hay Lin spotted him skulking them in the badlands.

She was ready, so no trance. But she could feel it! Her lips trembled a little, and she was glad her back was to the others. Tegus, apparently, was upset at a fairly stable portal being sealed, and Cornelia told him to shut it, while Irma assured him it was just a spot of snake-proofing Earth.

Will didn't care right now. The portal was a wound, a running sore in something she couldn't wrap her head around. Pressure relieved somewhat, but not nearly enough. And this was a symptom, not a cure.

The Heart, it heard this sad song, it echoed it inside of her. The portal condensed and brightened, a basketball-sized star shifting on itself. Her arms wrapped around it, not quite touching. And she touched it without touching, through the glow that was in her. Sewing it shut with her thoughts, for lack of a better way for her mind to articulate it.

There was no gasp as it faded away. Nor loss of balance. Or even a loud bang and puff of smoke. Will wiped away a tear with the back of her hand, feeling she had not done nearly enough of something she was supposed to right now.

"Will?" Hay Lin asked, much closer than Will had realized. Will was surprised, but too tired now to jump. She looked to Hay Lin and nodded.

"Well, let's get back to the Silver Dragon," Cornelia said. Will wanted to go home to her mom, her ice cream, and her bed in that order, but it seemed the blonde was calling the shots, so she took to the sky again, declining taking one of the men.

Which ended up with Tegus being left behind.

 **X X X**

It was hard not to get distracted by the flight. Caleb was ashamed to realize he had lost track of the bridge as a starting point when the Guardians landed in an alley. There were so many lights in this city, and Tegus had been truthful about the horseless carriages!

This night could hardly get any stranger.

Then in a flash of light, the Guardians shrank.

"Woohoo, mission success!" the Water Guardian yelled. She held up her hand, and the Wind Guardian smacked it, "Well, if this were the service, we would debrief now."

"What's that?" Will asked.

"We write and talk about what we did," the Water Guardian said.

"Oh, another sleepover!" The Wind Guardian was bouncing.

They were young. They didn't even have women's chests, Caleb noted. Oh, except the Water Guardian, he noticed. Well, this explained the professionalism of his rescue, he supposed.

"Forget that! I am going home," Cornelia declared, opening a door and entering a kitchen, the others following.

"Me too, my mom will not let me stay out for a school night twice in a row," Will said.

"Well done, girls!" an old woman in a green gown of some sort greeted them in the kitchen. Caleb ignored the strange kitchen to focus on this. Who exactly was he falling in with here?

She apparently had prepared tea and biscuits?

"Grandma! These are fresh, how did you know?" the Wind Guardian asked. She took the offered tray and served the others, only setting it on a counter to serve herself after the others were served. Including him.

"Oh my, Hay Lin, some things neither magic nor science can explain. Now, is everyone alright to go home? Last I checked, you still have school tomorrow," she chided. The girls ate theirs while Caleb hung back, holding the teacup and regarding the biscuit.

The old woman did not sneak up on him.

"I take it going back is not an option for the moment?" she asked, dropping her close-eyed smile.

"They have my scent," he answered.

"Well, it's been awhile since I had to explain a guest like you. But fortunately, this is not my first rodeo. We'll talk about your cover after the girls are done. You are a guest and I think an ally, hopefully a friend. But remember this…" she sad, regarding him with a smile that reminded him too much of the Mage before a sharp lesson.

"You are in my world and my house, and I expect you to be a good guest and disrupt this house, business and community as little as you are able. Whatever status you hold exactly, I guarantee I have humbled beings of far greater rank and significance. Now finish your snack, the basement will only need a bit of tweaking to serve your needs.

"Now shoo, you girls. Your mothers have been patient enough," the old woman said. She shooed the Guardians, legendary champions of Kandrakar itself, out like they were a gaggle of noble daughters being hustled to their lessons. Regardless of what the Guardians were like in real life, this was not someone to be underestimated. Not that it mattered much; he was a good Meridianite man, raised to respect women.

Moving to look into a large common room he caught sight of the girl who had carried him from the pit. Will, that was her name. She had not shown any special powers besides her glowing chest.

He had a feeling there was more there than met the eye.

 _Shortly:_

Caleb looked out through the window at the back alley of the Silver Dragon, all the differences from such a place back home nearly lighting up before his eyes. Letting the strange curtain fall back into place, he turned his eyes to the even more bizarre kitchen.

The Portal Plunger was the only truly familiar thing here. Inspecting his hat for some reason, the man glanced up at him before speaking.

"You alright? First time crossing can be rough on the head. And Earth is quite different from home," The Portal Plunger said. Caelb was a bit envious of how casually the man had arrived and moved about this strange place. That was a gap the rebel leader would have to close.

"Do you think Cedric was bluffing?" Caleb asked. He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted another Meridianite's opinion.

"About Tracker? No. The Prince and his court are arrogant, but not stupid. They had ample time and plenty of opportunity to get what they would need. Still, worse places to be stuck, and at least you won't have Guardians breathing down your neck like I might," the older man said with a slight frown.

'You really don't know who they really are? So they are not so foolish as actions may indicate… Unfair Caleb, it wasn't easy for you to start taking the field. And you had the Mage and other teachers preparing you. They seem to have been thrust into this like the greenest conscripts.'

He gave only a somewhat polite nod as Tegus took his leave. He watched the man go, singing some strange song under his breath. He soon vanished back down the alley and Caleb again let the curtains fall into place.

If Tracker had imprinted his essence, Caleb could hardly risk contacting his troops, much less resume leading them. He could trust Aldarn, but his friend was naturally cautious, and too patient for his own good. The Rebellion would survive under his leadership, but he foresaw none of the risks needed being taken to achieve great victory.

Still, the Mage had beaten into his brow the necessity of making the most of what you had. The Council's efforts had been hobbled by their failure to adapt to losing their war.

For all its strangeness, there were fair constants, and while the way they were different could still be disconcerting, it was a beginning to understanding, Caleb noted. Walking over to a wall-side table, he drew a small cleaver from a knife block, feeling its familiar heft even with the strange, not wood nor metal handle.

He considered the blade, well kept and well used.

The Rebellion needed him. And while still cut off in many ways, he was free. So how could he use that freedom to serve the cause?

The Guardians.

He was no mystic creature ordained by higher powers, but he knew war, something they seemed illiterate in. Somehow he doubted it would be like what he had with the Mage, outnumbered for starters. But that did not matter. The Guardians were a powerful tool, one that could change the balance entirely in the war. He would have to do what he always had, the very best with what he had. And use it to gain what he needed. Meridian would have justice.

He slid the cleaver back into the block, and turned, making his way to the basement where the elder had made a bed for him. What would dawn bring for him in this strange new world, he wondered?

 **X X X**

Mimira looked up at the ceiling, trying to let the throbbing in her head drown out thought. She was on a bench in the receiving hall of the Tower. Cedric's debriefing had been concise and damning in its tone.

There was no dressing it up, she had failed. Her role had been to ensure that a high profile prisoner did not escape their own dungeon. And now according to Tracker, he had escaped to Earth. Tracker could not or would not follow, the Prince had not made that clear. Either way, it meant the Changelings' great success had been undone.

She had lost esteem in her love's eyes.

"Mimira!" Van called out. Oh, now she could make out that unique sound of Van's hurried steps. Groaning anew, Mimira closed her eyes and wished she had in fact crawled into a hole after Cedric was done with her.

"Are you alright?! No, you are not. Why are you here when there is bruising on your head? I swear, if you are walking on anything broken or sprained…!" Van said, descending on her. Ugh, there were the fussing webbed hands.

"If it was bad i would have gone to the hospit wing! You made me sit through enough lectures to make a call. I had to make a report," Mimra protested, brushing Van's hands that were trying to examine her head.

Getting up from the bench, Mimira tried to dust herself off to buy a moment. But the gods chose to curse her with another dizzy spell, making her stumble.

Of course Van would catch her shoulder.

"I will take you to the wing and do an examination myself. Dr. Sokev, inform Prince Phobos of what I am doing. I will meet with him immediately afterwards," Van declared.

"At once, Grand Doctor Rivers," the subordinate in white said, bowing his head. And she had wondered how the night, now day, could get any worse, as Van all but dragged her out of sight of other Legion members like some naughty sprout.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _I will be honest this chapter fought hard. It taught more a lesson though. Both with this story and "War of Nations" I will need to have less regard for episodes of canon; not even a question of like or dislike, but with the style i am using and the AU built up some stuff just does not carry over well. Moreso here, with what I want to do with the characters._

 _Will is not yet ready to take helm, so for now it looks like Cornelia might be taking point. I hope you also look forward into seeing that dynamic. Van, se also reached out and made clear with this chapter how removed she can be. A certain tint to her recollections of her past self in particular._

 _I am thinking next chapter may be a shorter fallout kind of chapter, for all three sides. Vathek's bit is already underway thanks to the awesome Trackula._

 _How long that will be I cannot say. I want to get to work on "Queen of All Oni" again, et that wrapped up sooner rather than later._

 _Well it was not quite a year wait this time. And though I think its weaker than last chapter, I hope you enjoyed this._

 _Long day's and pleasant nights to you all._


End file.
